Distant Melody
by brandisnoot
Summary: Captain Hook wasn't always a ruthless pirate, wreaking havoc in Neverland. Tinkerbell wasn't always Peter Pan's tiny companion. They once meant something to one another, but what role did they play in each other's lives? Hook/OC Tink. AU
1. Prologue: Awakened

_**Hi, everyone! Welcome to Distant Melody. This is an AU story so if something seems amiss from the show, you now know why. I would just like to thank everyone who has/will read this story. I'm not going to say too much as that will spoil the entire plot. I really just wanted to take this moment to say hello and that (like all who post on here), I am in no way affiliated with Once Upon a Time or ABC. I do not own the characters, though aspects of them will be of my own creation. **_

_**I would also like to request any reviews/input you would like to give me. I will be editing and updating as often I can. Still, I would love to hear some feedbacks from my lovely fellow Oncers!**_

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Isabel stood on the docks, watching the waves rock back and forth. Something about the ocean made her feel at peace. Charlie had spent almost the entire night asking questions about his father. No matter how many times she tried to change the subject, he would just return to the topic five minutes later. Guilt ate at her. She felt horrible for avoiding the answer he desperately sought. Closing her eyes, she let the ocean air fill her lungs. It cleared her mind, soothed the worry she felt.

Things were changing in Storybrooke. Ever since Emma Swan arrived in town, Charlie started wondering things about himself. Things like who he was. Isabel found that she questioned the same thing about herself. Like Charlie, her memories didn't add up. The things she thought were true didn't seem as true. How could she answer his questions when she was having her own that she couldn't answer? None of it made any sense. Her memories were conflicting with one another. She remembered things that she wasn't sure were even real. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt as if she were flying. At first, she thought it was just another vivid dream, but they seemed far too real. She didn't know what to think so she didn't.

"Mom," Charlie's voice pulled her focus from the ocean.

She turned to face him with a smile. "How was school, hun?"

"They wouldn't let me play at recess. They called me a pipsqueak," he shrugged.

Isabel chuckled. "I'm sorry to hear that, love. Ready to go home?" she asked walking up to the little boy.

"Can we go to Granny's? I'm starving," he told her.

"Of course," she grinned at him. "You paying?"

"I'm eight, and I spend my allowance on comic books," he scoffed.

"Then dinner's on me," she giggled, ruffling his dark brown hair. "Let's go. Don't want you passing out from starvation."

Isabel took one last glimpse of the ocean before following Charlie towards the diner. Whatever drew her to the ocean would have to be put on hold. Her peace would have to wait. As they walked towards Granny's, a breeze blew through Storybrooke that shook the two of them to the core.


	2. Chapter 1: Fierce & Unafraid

_**Hi, everyone! Thank you for deciding to continue reading this story! I truly appreciate it. You really have no idea what it means to me. I would like to thank superdeedee311 for their follow. Hopefully, I'll get more as I post more chapters. I am really excited for this chapter. I've been fiddling with it for some time and didn't know where I was going to put it in the story. I'm glad I have found it a home. Anyways, I won't keep you from what you're really here for. Enjoy! And as always, reviews/input is welcome! I also made a Tumblr page (it's on my profile ). You should go follow me on there. I'll love you forever and ever. This chapter has been edited.**_

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_Pre-curse_

Azure eyes scanned the square for his next target. He would pick someone who wasn't paying attention, and the market was full of busy people. Perfect for one last swiping. He walked around, pretending to be just another cabin boy on one of the fishing vessels. The square was entirely too crowded for anyone's comfort, and he was thankful for that. Bumping into one another was just inevitable. Losing something in the crowd was even more so. He's manage to filch quite the bounty so far. One more. Just one more and that's it he told himself.

He spotted a girl a couple years younger than himself walking behind who he was assuming was her father. A leather pouch hanged from her belt, and she certainly wasn't minding where she was going. His eyes moved down to the pouch, and he swore he could hear the money inside jingling over the crowd. The best way to take her money would be to pretend he had bumped into her. She didn't seem to mind others bumping into her or vice versa. The pouch was tied rather than looped through so it would be easy to acquire. This girl made it all too easy to steal from her.

He made his way through the crowd to her; his sense of urgency trying to take. Finally across the way from her, he casually walked through the crowd. He counted the steps to her while making it seem like he was looking at everywhere else except in front of him. It took twenty steps until he bumped into her, dropping the basket in his hands. "I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention! I'm new to the area so I'm not sure where to go," he told her. She looked up at him in bewilderment. Her eyes were wide...and striking. He shook his head. He needed to keep the act up, not get distracted by a pretty face. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I think so."

"Oh good! I'm entirely too clumsy for my own good," he laughed.

"No need to be sorry about that. There's a lot of people out today," she smiled.

His lips parted to say something but nothing came out. Her smile rendered him at a loss for words. And her voice? It was melodic and made goosebumps form on his skin. His eyebrows knit together, and she was started to walk away. Killian hadn't gotten what he bumped into her for so he grabbed her hand. "What's your name?"

"Why do you need to know my name?" she asked.

He smiled, stepping closer to her. This moment had to count or he'd come up empty handed. Not that he really needed the extra loot. He'd stolen more than enough. Something drew him to the girl standing in front of him. He assumed it was the money his hands itched to get. It was shaken loose from their collision; just wouldn't fall. "I always like to know the names of the beautiful girls in town. Just in case I come back and want to see them."

Her eyebrow quirked up at him. "Brenna."

"Well, _Brenna_." The name sounded fake. She didn't sound confident saying it. "It's lovely to meet you." He placed a hand on her hip, kissing her cheek. His thumb slipped under the strap of the leather pouch. It slid off with ease and landed in the basket. Picking up the basket, he flashed the girl a smile before bowing to her. "Beautiful Brenna, I hope to see you again soon."

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Isabel stood there stunned as she watched the boy walk away. He was too charming to be any good. That smug little smile he gave her before leaving. His audacity to kiss her on the cheek. Those mesmerizing eyes. It took Isabel a minute before she could function properly again. She saw her father standing just a few feet from her, looking back at her. Smiling at him, she hurried over to him. There was something off about the way she was walking. The clink of her leather pouch was missing, and her gait seemed much lighter. She stopped half way to her father, putting her hand on her hip where the money pouch had been. Her eyes widened and she looked down. It was gone.

"That little shit," she whispered.

After taking one last glance at her father, she took off. Isabel knew the streets better than anyone. He had to be heading for the docks. There were several ways to get there, but the alleys were easiest. Her legs carried her as fast as they could. She prayed she could get the money back. It was enough to feed her and her father for a month. Now there was a chance it was sailing away. She had been having a good day. She and her father had made several huge deliveries. Three captains wanted swords for their crews, and her father worked tirelessly for two months to fill all of the orders.

Following one of the cleaner alleys, she was able to make it to the docks before he did. She ducked behind a few crates, waiting for her moment to pounce. She imagined this was much like what he had done to her. Scouting her out, waiting for the right moment. It sickened her to think she was duped by a pirate. The thought left an unwanted taste in her mouth, and her cheek burned where his lips pressed. Isabel was already fuming, but when he passed her, it was as if someone lit the fire. She ran from behind the crates, tackling the boy to the group. A dagger toppled to the ground next to him, and while he struggled to get his bearings, Isabel picked it up and held it to his throat. Even from behind him, she could see those vile eyes go wide with shock.

"Give me the pouch," she told him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" To any onlooker, it would have sounded genuine, but Isabel knew better.

She pressed the flat side of the blade to his neck, "Give me the fucking pouch or I'm going to ruin your day." He continued his charade, but Isabel certainly wasn't having it. She pushed him to the ground, only to have him turn and face the blade directly. "I have been nice up to this point, _pirate_. Either give me the pouch or your captain will have to find a new crewman."

The boy sat up; his eyes daring her to go through on her threat. "And why should I give anything to you, princess? You were prancing about with a satchel of money, just begging to be stolen from. I won it fair so I don't see why I should give it back to you."

"First of all, shithead, I am not a princess. I am a blacksmith's daughter, and most of the time, we are poor. You stealing that money is just as bad as killing us. Do you consider yourself a man of honor?" she asked, pressing the blade closer to his cheek. Blood beaded around the top of the blade. "Or do you fancy yourself a coward? Stealing from those who work hard to earn their way through life."

"Are you asking me what kind of pirate I am?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She scowled at him. "I am asking what kind of _man_ you are."

A grin flashed across his face. "I am flattered you think me a man. Most consider me a boy."

Isabel looked him over. He had to be no older than fifteen or sixteen. She honestly didn't care how he got into piracy or when, but something about it intrigued her. Regardless, she wasn't about to ask nor was she about to let the matter at hand drop. "Boy implies innocence to which you certainly have none."

"And you know this how?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You're a pirate," she answered.

As he was about to say anything, the sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden dock stole his attention from Isabel. The boy's eyes were drawn behind her, and she wanted to look behind her. She was just too stubborn to remove the knife from the boy's cheek. Switching hands, she held the knife firmly where it was and turned to face the clunking footsteps. A portly man dressed in all black stood behind her. His head was held high as he looked at the two teenagers in front of him. He wore a somewhat amused expression before he burst into hearty laughter. "Killian, you've found yourself in trouble I see." He looked over to Isabel. "What was his crime?"

"Who are you?" was her haughty reply to him.

"I'm Captain Harold Finnegan," he answered. "And who might you be, lass?"

"Isabel Smith. He stole a leather pouch from me, and I need it back," she told him.

"Sorry. Once stolen, there are no refunds," the captain said.

She stepped behind Killian, holding the knife to his throat again. A streak of blood ran down his face. "Then I guess I should just take what I want then. His life should do since he's stealing my livelihood from me."

"Did you earn this money yourself then?" Captain Finnegan asked.

The man was mocking Isabel. She didn't like to be mocked. Just because she was small and seemingly inconsequential didn't mean she deserved to be mocked for anything. "My father," she eyed the sword strapped to his hip and recognized the work immediately. "The man who made your sword. He earned it."

"Tell you what, lass. You have your..."

"No!" Isabel interrupted. "It was my fault that it was taken and so I must be the one to retrieve it. Now. Have him hand it over, or yourself. I don't really care. Give it back to me or I spill his pretty red blood all over your boots and it can be a reminder for you."

Something shown in the man's eyes. It wasn't compassion. It was fear, fear of losing Killian. Isabel took that to mean he viewed the young boy as a son more than part of his crew. Probably why someone as skilled as Killian did menial tasks like stealing from a crowd of people. Isabel guessed Killian had never been in a fight where his life was truly on the line. Captain Finnegan waved his hands in the air and nodded. "Fine. Let the boy up and he'll give you your money."

"But, Captain," Killian started.

"No. You chose wrongly this time, son. This is your lesson," the captain sighed. "Give her the money and get back to the ship. You're done with this place."

Isabel removed the blade from Killian's neck, and he rose to his feet. The boy towered over her, but Isabel was far from intimidated by his stature. To her, she was the scum that almost caused her to starve to death. Her father worked on commissions alone. Sometimes he would pick up farm work in the country, but it wasn't the time of year for that yet. Killian bent to take the pouch from the basket. He then grabbed Isabel by the hips and pulled her closer. His face was merely inches from her. She could feel his breath on her face, and she shuddered though she didn't understand why. Killian tied the pouch back to her belt, making sure it was tight for anyone who got the same idea he did.

"I knew your name wasn't Brenna," he smiled smugly.

She rolled her eyes. "You can back up now."

He took a step back. "I will see you again, fair Isabel. Something tells me you're much softer than you appear."


	3. Chapter 2: Hello, Peter

_**First of all, I would like to thank Midnight-Time, SwanQueen4055, RachelNicole523, jessaniah, and JohnnyStormsGirl for showing some love by following or favoriting the story. Much love from me to them and to anyone who has read the story! If you check my profile, you will find the Tumblr page that I am also posting this on. Go check it out. Follow. Let me love you! Onto the chapter!**_

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_Present_

The sound of Charlie's…Peter's crying could be heard throughout the house. With the realization of who he actually was and then his mother's true identity, the young boy felt betrayed. All he could do was cry about it. This time nobody has to ask why. Isabel knew why. The boy had found out that Isabel, his mother was in fact Tinkerbell. She always knew the truth would come out eventually. She only hoped it would be in their own time…after Peter tired of Neverland. He would eventually. It would take centuries perhaps, but at least, it would be on much better terms. She could have prepared him, but now the truth was being forced on him. Isabel wouldn't wish that on anyone. Then there were her own memories that she didn't want to deal with yet. She needed to deal with one thing at a time, and Peter was her priority.

Trudging up the stairs, Isabel stopped outside Peter's bedroom door. Her heart broke as he sobbed. If they were in Neverland, she would do something to cheer him up. She didn't have her magic back. Well, she couldn't get it to work properly just yet, and Peter wasn't having anything to do with her. She had been banished indefinitely. That's what he'd yelled at her. Isabel figured it was best to oblige. As Tinkerbell, she had no choice. As his mother, she didn't have to play into the game. She had lied to him so playing the game seemed more than fair. She leaned against the wall. It all just felt so hopeless really. He was bound to have questions, the same ones as before. And she now had the answers, though some of which she knew he wouldn't like. Maybe it would be better if she just told him everything. Get it all out there. Peter appreciated honesty at least that's what Isabel kept telling herself. If she were honest with him, maybe he would find it within himself to not be so angry with her. After all, there was a time when she was more his best friend than his mother. Sometimes it was easier to forgive your friends of their faults than it was to forgive your family. Of course there was the matter of his father. Isabel had to start the search for Peter's father. If he had made it to Storybrooke, she would have to explain everything again. Even worse, she would have to prove to him that she meant nothing negative behind her leaving. After all, she had left while he was gone; never saying goodbye.

Opening the door to Peter's room, she sat on the bed next to him. His tiny body shook as he cried, and he didn't dare turn his head to face her. Instead, he scooted as far away from her as he could without falling off the bed. When she opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off. "I said you were banished."

"I know," she said, quietly. "I'm not here as your mother. I'm here as Tink."

Peter shook his head; still not facing her. "You must not get it. Tink messed up too, and she must be punished too. I banish you double. You cannot talk to me, look at me, or come near me until I say."

"Peter, this isn't Neverland anymore," she sighed. "As much as you want to, you cannot call the shots like before. I am your mother, and you're gonna have to speak to me eventually. You're gonna have to listen."

Peter shook his head again. "No! Not if I don't want to!" He gave her a defiant look. "I don't have to do anything you say because you lied to me."

"I know. I lied to you to protect you," she told him. "I lied to you to help you, to help both of us."

"You don't lie to someone to protect them," he closed his eyes. "You lie because you're too cowardly to tell the truth."

Isabel looked down at her son. A coward. He thought she was a coward. Well, she guessed he had a right to think whatever he wanted about her. Nodding, she started to put her hand on his back, but she pulled back with better judgment. She left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Isabel waited until she was inside her room to let the tears fall. This banishment felt so much more worse than those in Neverland. They never felt permanent. They never were real. Peter would turn her away for fun, but now her son was turning her away for a different reason. Peter was angry and hurt. Two of the very things that were never allowed in Neverland really. Peter didn't allow them. It was partially why Peter never did like Captain Hook hanging around. He was an adult who felt anger, hurt, and hate. Those emotions were what could bring Neverland down completely. It was a place built on happiness, and Peter wanted to keep it that way. One slight change in the island's core could make everything change.

As she lay in bed, she tried to prepare herself for the day ahead. School was indefinitely canceled it seemed since everyone would be too busy trying to kill the mayor or scrambling about to figure out their lives. Isabel too had to do a bit of the latter. She needed to go see if her husband was in town. She didn't remember seeing him around, but it could just be they never crossed paths. In her defense, Isabel kept mostly to herself. She was a kindergarten teacher. She had a couple of friends, but she mostly had the same routine every day. Go to work. Be a teacher. Go home. Be a mother. She didn't have much time for anything else so it was highly possible she wouldn't have seen her husband anywhere. Sitting up, she carefully tiptoed over the wooden floor of her bedroom to a dresser. On top of it was an old jewelry box that she kept her favorite trinkets in. It was amazing how just a little bit of her own powerful magic allowed her to bring so much from Neverland with her. She turned the key in the box, opening it carefully. Buried underneath some old letters and a few of Peter's old toys, she found exactly what she was looking for. Holding up the silver ring with its intricate design, she looked at it in sadness and wonder. Her wedding ring. It glimmered in the little bit of light coming into the room from outside but so did something else. Reaching into the box, she pulled out the necklace that had been her mothers. She unclasped the necklace to run it through the ring before putting it on. Two of her most prized possessions from before she became Tinkerbell.

The door opened behind her, and she saw Peter's small frame standing in the doorway with a teddy bear in his arms. Isabel clasped the necklace around her neck, turning to him. His face was wet and splotchy from crying. She tilted her head to the side as she studied his face. Peter wasn't angry. He was sad. It was as if Wendy were leaving him all over again. Isabel rushed over to him, taking him in her arms, and he cried harder. She held the boy so tightly she half feared she would crush him, but he held on just as tight if not tighter. She left kisses over his face, looking him in the eyes.

His lip trembled as he began to speak. "All I've ever wanted was a mother."

"I know, and I'm sorry," she told him, fighting back her own tears.

"I don't want things to change," he squeaked. "I don't want you to be all Tink again."

A small smile formed on her face. "Oh, Peter." She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I can be Tink and your mother."

His fingers touched her cheek and he grinned at her. "Tinkerbell."

"Hello, Peter," she grinned, pressing her forehead to his.


	4. Chapter 3: Such is the terrible man

_**So I feel like I should do a little clarification. Obviously, my Tinkerbell (Isabel) is not going to be the Tink portrayed on the show nor is my Peter going to be the Peter portrayed on the show. Instead, I view them more as original characters with a little Barrie canon thrown in. This fic will also eventually turn so AU that it isn't funny. However, I am still going to bring in aspects of the show as I see fit. I don't know why I thought I needed to clear that up. Anyways, I figured I should also give you guys a view of what I see when I am writing this fic as far as people go. Obviously, the OUAT character (Snow, Emma, Hook, etc) are being seen as who they are. Tink is Lucy Hale for me, and if you want me to explain how/why, just message me and I'll explain. Also, I see Peter as Chandler Riggs (Walking Dead). **_

_**Anyways, I would like to thank Serahfalcon, Jordan Lynn 7, and .x23 for following/favoriting the story. I really appreciate it. This story is becoming an obsession for me (more than it was before). **_

**_If you have a tumblr, please go visit my page (it's on my profile) for the story! I would love some followers over there, and I'll be updating with news and whatnot. _**

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_Enchanted Forest - Present_

His eyes closed as a cool breeze drifted in from the ocean. Cora said that twenty-eight years would feel like very little time for him, but in reality, he felt every single one of them slipping past. Killian figured it was from over three hundred years of living in Neverland. Time there was a figment of the imagination. It slowed down and sped up on its own, and the seasons changed with moods. Wintery cold when a certain flying boy was sad and lonely. Beautiful spring when the same boy was happy and full of energy. Real time was banished from Neverland, and now that Killian was back in real time, he felt every day as it marked itself off the calendar.

Killian also figured he felt time differently due to the fact that he hadn't taken to see in those twenty-eight years. He had a part to play at the camp, one he loathed more than anything. He modeled it after a man he knew prior to his life being turned on its head; back before he had a trail of bodies and affairs trailing behind him. The man was a blacksmith and more technically his father-in-law. As much as he detested playing the roll of the blacksmith at camp, it did make him seem close to the two people he held more dear than any piece of treasure he could find. His wife and his son. The memory of his burnt house, the singed shawl on the ground, and the whispers throughout the town cause the pirate to swallow thickly. It was so much easier to forget all of that in Neverland, but once again being back in his own world made him feel anything that was forgotten.

Bending, he picked up a shiny red stone and turned it over in his hands. She would have loved it. When he was courting her, he would bring her stones that he found unique from far away lands. She really didn't care for the colorful rocks. He could always tell, but she would still smile. Gods how he missed the way her lips would spread and the way her nose would crinkle as she giggle. If he listened hard enough, he could swear he would hear that little giggle. He thought once he had heard it in Neverland, but he also thought he must have been dreaming at the time. Isabel was dead. There was no way he could have heard her giggle. Some part of him didn't want to believe it. He always believed that you felt when your true love died, like some part of you would feel like it had been ripped from its core. At one point, he didn't even believe she was his true love because of that theory. Yet, when the crocodile crushed Milah's heart, he hadn't felt it then either.

He closed his fist around the stone, throwing it into the water. Certain things about his past needed to stay there because there was no fixing them. He had already sated his revenge for Isabel's death. Now it was time for him to do the same with Milah. He truly had loved the woman despite finding out that she was not his true love either. The more lively parts of her being reminded him of Isabel, and the parts that didn't...well, he loved those maybe more. He didn't feel entirely too guilty about stealing Milah away from her life, especially since he saw an older version of Isabel when he looked at her. Maybe that was why he had been drawn to her in the first place Had Isabel gotten to age and flourish as Milah had, that's what she would look like. Of course, Isabel's looks were always far more deceiving than they first appeared. When he met her, she looked maybe a freshly turned thirteen. Instead, she was almost fifteen. Where he thought he saw someone meek and little, he found someone strong and vivacious. With a flash of a smile and a wide-eyed stare, she could trick even the most calloused of souls into bending to her will.

"You're thinking again, Captain," a voice behind him sounded. The tone was as deceivingly soft as Isabel's looks. Cora walked up beside him, shooting him a glance. "Tell me. Which one was it? Your actual love or the woman you claimed to love?"

Killian shook his head as he disconnected his hook and stashed it in his bag. "I do not know what you are talking about, Cora."

"Oh, Hook. You think you are so opaque about the things on your mind, but you really aren't. Those eyes of yours tell a completely different story," she chuckled.

"Once again, I don't know what you are talking about," he lied.

Cora shrugged, stepping in front of him. "You've missed the arrival of our guests."

"What guests?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow up.

"Snow White and the savior are here," she told him.

"From...?" he trailed off.

"Yes," she answered with a nod. "I don't know exactly how they managed to escape my daughter's magic-less land, but they are here."

"Well that either puts a kink in our plan or it only helps us further," he said as he covered himself in rags.

"I believe it is the latter," she smiled. "If they have found a way here, they will be wanting to find a way back I am assuming. Precious Snow cannot be away from her Charming for too long. We only know half of the puzzle to getting home, but I am more than sure Snow can think of something. That girl is far too clever."

A grin formed on Killian's face as he thought about how they might alter their plan. He would finally get to stretch the atrophied flirting muscle in him. "Shall I glean what I can from them?"

"No. Allow me to do that. Your role will come later." Cora pursed her lips together, and Killian didn't like it. She only ever told him things in snippets; never the full plan of attack. Instead, she would tell him what he needed to know in the moment. "I will see what I can get from them as myself. Should that fail, I'll try a different approach as Lancelot."

"Are you sure that's best?" Killian asked.

Cora's eyes flashed with anger, but she didn't last out. "Yes. I am sure. Get back to the camp and help out. Try and keep some sort of semblance you aren't who you are."

Killian nodded, turning towards the camp. "What happens if they can't help us?" He looked back at Cora.

"I'll kill them," she smiled sweetly.

Eavesdropping had become his specialty. It wasn't really a skill set. It was more something he'd learned to do out of necessity. It kept him alive like everything he did. Killian was a master at living, more so than he was at anything else. He laid underneath a tree near the put, his ear pressed to an enchanted heart-shaped stone. Cora wore one around her neck, and it gave Killian the ability to listen in on her conversation with Snow and her daughter. Even the slightest of whispers could be heard through Cora's magic. It made Killian a bit uneasy, but the magic was small enough that he didn't care too much. It was when she started changing her face that he felt uncomfortable. Not to mention the way she took and kept heats made him remember Milah's death. Rumplestiltskin wore the same menacing expression she did as he crushed Milah's heart.

He swore he heard a waver in Emma's voice when a boot kicked him in the shoulder. After twenty-eight years, Killian was growing tired of being kicked around. "You really shouldn't do that, mate."

"It's your turn to help stand watch, blacksmith," the man told him.

"Well I'm busy," Killian smirked, getting comfortable. The man grabbed him by the shoulder, and Killian huffed. Before the man could grumble, Killian's hook buried itself in the neck of then man. His eyes grew seemingly brighter. "I told you not to bother me." Pulling his hook out, he watched the man slump to the ground. "Pity. You could have been a fair fight."

He watched one of the guards lead Snow White and Emma out of the pit. The blonde woman kept a defiant look on her face as her mother scolded her. It amused Killian because, as much as either of them resister, they were still playing right into Cora's plan. A chuckle escaped him as he watched who Snow thought was Lancelot embrace her. Just minutes before she was telling Emma not to trust Cora yet there she was unknowingly embracing her step-grandmother. He found it funny how a friendly face instantly gained trust where someone like him would have to prove himself worthy of such a thing.

Other than listening in on Cora's conversation with Emma and Snow, Killian felt rather useless. His role in the plan wasn't until much later. Without a doubt in Cora's mind, the two women would put up a fight when it came to helping her. Killian could only imagine what kind of hell they'd give him if he asked for help. Once people learned who he was, it was kind of hard to ask for anything from anyone. Not that Killian spent a large amount of time asking for help. He already knew the answer so he was accustomed to manipulating people into helping when he needed it. Cora possessed her own cunning methods, but Killian was a little old fashioned. Charm and wit were his greatest tools, which he would try and put to use later.

He got as close as he could to Lancelot, Snow, and Emma. They moved through the camp to Lancelot's hut where a chimera was being cooked for supper. As he watched, he realized Cora really was too good at playing the disgraced knight. Killian never cared for him. Lancelot was far too noble and not nearly ruthless enough. Immediately after the curse took over, everyone turned to Lancelot for guidance and leadership. That night, Killian watched Cora rip Lancelot's heart from his body, crushing it with no remorse.

"There are no portals left," Lancelot told Snow.

"I might know of one," Snow mused.

"You do?" Emma asked.

An eager look crossed Lancelot's features before it was drawn back. "Where?"

Snow shook her head. "Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful."

"Not anymore," Lancelot lied. "The curse stripped her of her powers."

Killian swallowed back a laugh. If they believed that, they weren't as smart as Cora gave them credit. Of course, Snow's caution was expected. It was part of what Cora outlined for him. Emma would be the more foolish one while Snow would absolutely know better. Lancelot agreed to let Snow and her daughter go on their journey. That Mulan girl would be going along, and Killian breathed a sigh of relief. She always watched him as if he could see through his guise where even that idiot prince couldn't. At least with her gone, he could live in a little bit of peace. Not that he would have a time to catch his breath. Once they were off, he would put the rest of Cora's plan in motion. He would sew some amount of discord throughout the camp that Lancelot was helping Snow and Emma while deserting them, leaving them to continue to live in fear on the island. That's when Cora would return from following the princess and her daughter. She would take charge of the camp, only to kill everyone there. Killian got to play the role of the lone survivor. How he won their trust was up to him.


	5. Chapter 4: Fire Lilies and the Ocean

**_I would like to thank vampire luverxoxo, JohnnyStormsGirl, and ratherbereading125 for favoriting/following/reviewing the story! I love you all! I'm glad you're enjoying it that much. This chapter is a bit of a long one so I apologize in advance. Usually I don't plan chapters in as much detail as I did this one, but I put so much detail in the outline that I felt I needed to cover most of it. I hope you all enjoy it!_**

* * *

_Pre-curse_

"There's a ship coming in," William Smith told his daughter as he entered their home. "Looks like it's those pirates."

Isabel pretended not to hear him; although she knew as soon as her father left she would change into a prettier dress and fix her hair. She hated how that _boy_, that _pirate_ stole her thoughts. He made her too much of a lovesick girl. Many boys in the village wanted Isabel to think of them in that way yet Killian was the one that made her feel absolutely stupid. William egged it on as much as he could. Most fathers would discourage their daughters' crush on someone like Killian. William found it rather humorous that the boy had ruffled Isabel's feathers so much. Isabel didn't find it nearly as funny. If anything, she took it as his way of annoying her even when absent. He did tell her that he would find a way, and it look like he had. He had kissed her, effectively infecting her. Hopefully the slap he gained left him with a lasting impression as well. She didn't want his affections; at least that's what she told herself and anyone brave enough to mention him.

"Why don't you go to the market? I'm more than capable of feeding myself," William told her.

Isabel laughed. "Nonsense, father. It takes you twice as long, and you have work to do."

"Nothing too important," he shrugged.

"Well, you're too late," she said, putting a bowl of soup in front of him. "Now eat. I have to go get the laundry."

"They're not ready. I checked them. Go to market. We're almost out of bread," he told her. "Get some flowers too."

"Yes, father." She frowned. Her father was up to something. Obviously he was putting her in a position to be bothered by Killian. She grabbed her basket, kissed her father on the cheek, and started towards the market.

* * *

Killian saw her before she saw him. He hid in the shadows, watching as she interacted with the merchants. A smile remained plastered on her face, and Killian found it completely beautiful. She seemed so kind, which he didn't find all that surprising. The townsfolk loved her as if she was a princess. They loved her, refused her money. She obviously didn't listen as she forced the money on them.

She turned her back to him as she picked up a bouquet of flowers. He took that as his chance to sneak up on her. "Now those are as beautiful as you are, love."

Her posture straightened. "Nevermind. Wildflowers are weeds anyways. They grow where you don't want them."

Isabel started to walk away. Killian gave the merchant a piece of gold, taking the flowers. He followed after her. "Dammit, Isabel! Wait!"

"Run back to your ship. I only have a little money, and it's going to be used for bread. Nothing to steal here," she told him.

"I'm not here to steal from you." He held out the flowers for her, chuckling as her eyebrow quirked up. "I paid for them."

She crossed her arms. "What am I supposed to do with them?"

"Take them. Put them in your father's shop," he shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Go away, Killian."

"One day," he sighed. "Just give me one day. I'll prove I'm not as bad as you think I am. Please."

She shook her head. "What's in it for me?"

"Love of course," he grinned.

"No," she answered. She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her hand. "Let me go or I'm cutting that hand off."

"You'll never see me again if I don't prove myself to you," he blurted out, though it was the last thing he wanted to promise her.

"Deal. Now prepare your heartfelt goodbye. This will be the last day we'll be seeing one another," she smirked. "Now keep up. I have errands to run and far more important things to do." She started walking towards the bread cart. "You must really like torture, Killian."

"Why's that?" he asked catching up to her.

"I'm obviously not interested yet you don't seem to get that," she told him.

"You don't know a thing about me? How can you _know_ if you're interested or not?" he asked.

She turned to face him. "You tried to steal my money from me, and I held a knife to your throat. How can you even think that I am interested?" She picked up a roll, sniffing it before holding it up for him. "Is this fresh to you?"

"Because threatening my life is just the first step to loving me," he smirked, but it disappeared when Isabel glared up at him. He took the bread and sniffed it. "It smells fresh. Baked...this morning?" He looked over at the bread merchant who nodded slightly at him. "This morning." She took the bread back from him, paying quickly before walking off again and leaving him in his spot. He had to catch up to her again. It was getting rather tiresome, but he found some fun it. "So...I've spent an entire month looking forward to getting here."

"That's good. Took a lot, did you?" she asked.

"No. I've been wanting to see you," he answered. "Seriously, are you going to give me a hard time for the entire day? Give me a chance. I could surprise you."

"I seriously doubt that," she told him. "Give it up, Killian. I'm not worth it. Perhaps you'll find a girl who deserves you."

Stepping in front of her, he placed his hands on her shoulder. "I'm not giving up, Isabel." He sighed, "You promised me one day, just one day. That's all I ask. I promise, and I will leave you alone if that's what you wish at the end of the day. Until then, I'm going to give it a fair shot but you have to as well."

"Alright," she nodded, looking over his face and frowning. "What's...you have..." she looked down at his hands. "You've got scrapes on your hands."

"Don't worry about that," he smiled, taking her basket for her. "Now. What next?"

"I'm finished here actually. Now I just have to go home and put this stuff away; clear some things up there," she smiled back.

"You just smiled at me," Killian gloated.

"A fair shot. That's what you asked for. Consider this me being nice, yeah?" she grinned. "Come on. My father is probably back at his shop. I can probably feed you whatever is left over of the soup I made earlier."

Killian nodded. "Soup sounds delicious considering what I've been eating on the ship lately."

Isabel led him through the village to a little cabin on the outskirts of the town. It was a little unusual for shop and home to be two different places, but the Smith family had once been much wealthier than they were. That, of course, was back when Isabel's uncles were all alive too. They went off to fight in the ogre wars. William went to fight, but he didn't fight long. He had gotten injured, sent home. When his brothers didn't return, he inherited their fortunes. He bought the shop to get Isabel out of the way just in case she might have gotten hurt.

Once inside the cabin, Isabel pointed to the table. "Put the basket there and sit."

"Bossy, aren't ya?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Put the basket there and sit please," she smirked at him.

"Better," he nodded, sitting at the table.

* * *

Isabel sat in front of Killian at the table. Killian had eaten whatever was left of the vegetable and pork soup Isabel had made. She managed to bandage his hand with a bunch of fuss from him. Other than him whining about the healing herb salve stinging, their time had been somewhat quiet. They would glance at one another and the other would look away blushing. Despite Isabel's reluctance to even get to know Killian, the time alone with him was breaking her down. Maybe she was just tired from running around the market. Maybe he actually was wearing her down. Isabel didn't know or really care anymore.

Killian carried himself differently than most pirates Isabel had seen. There were things all over the house he could pocket yet he remained seated, only standing up when she did. He was gentlemanly, and maybe that's why Isabel didn't care so much that she was letting her guard down. To her, it didn't seem like an act either. Killian really was putting his best foot forward to woo her. That was why she dressed his wounds. That was why her eyes continued to study things about him. There was a scar on his cheek where she held the knife to it. She actually felt a little bad about that, though she still believed he deserved whatever befell him that day. She tilted her head to the side to watch him. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, but his eyes caught hers. Isabel swore she had never seen such captivating eyes.

"How did you become a pirate?" she asked. "Where are your parents?"

Killian took a deep breath, resting his elbows on the table. "My mother died when I was nine. My father abandoned me a year or so ago. Harold took me in, offered me a job on his ship. I took it because I had no other choice. It was either piracy or starve."

"My mother is dead too," she told him quietly. "She died shortly after I was born so I don't remember her. I used to have a necklace, but it was stolen from me."

"Stolen?" he questioned.

She nodded. "A few years ago, these pirates came through here. They ransacked the entire village. I just happened to be in the square when they arrived. One of them took my necklace before I could even think to run to my father's shop and hide. They took almost everything from us."

"Including money?" he bit back a smile.

"My father had made the most beautiful swords ever. They were so ornate. Surely fit for any king that might pass through. They were worth quite a bit, and we would have been set if he had sold them," she told him.

"And that's why you chased after me," he nodded.

"One of the reasons why. I promised my father that I would fight anyone to make sure he never went without again. One day I'm going to marry, and he'll still have to make his way in the world. Until then, it's my responsibility to make sure he can eat." She looked down. "It's what my mother would have done."

Killian stood and went to the other side of the table. He knelt down in front of her, taking her face in his hands and making her look at him. "I promise you, Isabel. I'll get your necklace back."

She shook her head. "You don't have to."

"I want to," he looked into her eyes. "It's the least I can do for stealing from you in the first place." Her eyes went wide and all she could do was nod. He smiled. "You really are beautiful, Isabel."

"We should go to my favorite place," she said quickly, looking away from him.

"And where would that be?" he asked.

As soon as she had said, she managed to get away from him and grab a sack of something from the cupboard. She took his non-bandaged had, leading him out of the cabin. "Did you get to see the river the last time you were here? Probably not. Well...maybe. It depends on which way you came in."

Killian chuckled as she pulled on his hand. There was a lightness in her voice that hadn't been there before. Sure she had already softened up to him, but now it was as if she were this completely docile kitten. There was no bite to her words. She led him through the forest. He tried to take in his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had been inland enough to see a forest. Isabel didn't give him much time to see much of anything. She pulled him quickly through the forest, and the sound of a river rushing close by told Killian they were close. Her pulling him faster also told him they were getting close.

Isabel looked back at him with a grin on her face. "You ready?"

"Of course," he nodded.

She led him through a clearing. "This is it. It was my mother's favorite place. I was almost named Lily because of it."

The boy looked around. There were bunches of red lilies everywhere he looked. They were so bright and beautiful. He went up to one and plucked it from the tree. Killian motioned for Isabel to come closer. When she did, he tucked the flower behind his ear. "There. You've made it more beautiful."

"That's silly," she told him. "Do you know what kind of flowers these are?" He shook his heard. "They're magical fire lilies. Normal fire lilies grow after a fire, and this forest did burn down ages ago. It's said that a bunch of fairies enchanted this part of the forest to repel fire. Everything here has a little magic to it, and the lilies that popped up were no different."

"So how are they magical?" he asked.

"Ah. This river flows into the sea, and the flowers often find themselves riding the river to the sea. When they hit the saltwater, they turn white," she smiled up at him. "People also say they have magical healing properties too, but I've never seen it."

Killian thought for a moment as he watched a couple of the lilies fall into the river, being whisked away to the see. He bent to pick one off the ground. Turning it in his hand, he examined it. Even without the red petals, the flower had to be one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Then he looked at Isabel, who had lost all interest in him. Instead she sat on a large boulder to watch the water and flowers rush by. He went to join her. Turning the flower in his hand, he knit his eyebrows together.

"You know," he spoke up, "you're kind of like these flowers."

Isabel giggled. "What?"

He scooted closer to her. "You're like these flowers. They run to the sea, and it catches and changes them. Without fail, they allow the sea to change them."

"And let me guess. You're the ocean?" she asked.

"Yes. Well...sort of," he answered. "I have the chance to fail. You don't have to let me change you." He bit his lip. "Not that you need changing at all."

Isabel looked at him. "I think it's the other way around. I think you feel there's still something missing from your life. You're the flower running to the sea to be changed, and there I am pretending to be unwilling yet waiting with open arms."


	6. Chapter 5: To Seek Adventure

_**First of all, I would like to thank .x23, JohnnyStormsGirl, Evenlight, Neverland-Emerald-Wolf, Nymartian, Castiel Angel Heart, Aislinn101, and Jiroah17 for reviewing, favoriting, and following the story. You're the best! I would also like to thank everyone for their patience between chapters. **_

**_Secondly, I would love for everyone to check out my tumblr for this story. It's on my profile if you need a link, or you can message me for it. Whichever. _**

**_Thirdly, I am currently taking prompts for one shots. The only thing is they need to be related to this story. I'll be posting and updating a new collection of one shots/one off stories. They will be dedicated to whoever gives me a prompt. Just send me a message here (or on tumblr if you went to my page). It's actually kinda difficult to gain followers on Tumblr when your story is a crazy crackship such as Tinkerhook (or Captain Bell). Enough about that. Send me prompts and I'll fill them as soon as I can get to them!_**

* * *

_Storybrooke – Present_

Peter ran happily in front of Isabel with his arms stretched out, pretending to fly down the sidewalk of Storybrooke. Once they had discussed how things were going to be for them, Peter didn't seem all that unhappy. He wanted to still see Isabel as his mother, and Isabel couldn't really argue like that. There was no way Peter Pan could live in a modern world. They were rules that he would certainly buck against, but a Peter Pan with an authority figure would not. Peter couldn't fly. He couldn't truly be Peter Pan without flight. Isabel felt somewhat guilty because he couldn't figure out how to get his flight back. Peter didn't require fairy dust to fly. Isabel's magic was slowly coming back, but it would take some time before she could help him. He didn't know how to harness the magic he possessed so, until Isabel got her magic back fully, she couldn't help him at all.

The young boy ran up to the library door and stopped, waiting for his mother to catch up to him. He smiled up at her before opening the door. "M'lady."

Giggling, she curtseyed. "Sir." She stepped inside and he followed after her. Then he ran around her to start looking at all the books. "Peter, just one today."

He nodded and waved behind himself. She shook her head as she looked around the building. It smelled old, as if the books hadn't seen the light of day in a very long time. For as long as she could remember, the Storybrooke library had been closed. She guessed its opening had something to do with the girl behind the circulation desk. Isabel heard the girl's name was Belle, and Isabel immediately recognized the name from one of her favorite stories. The Belle sitting behind the desk was not what Isabel had imagined. Then again, everyone gawked at her as Tinkerbell because the entire world thought Tink was some blonde little pixie with a bad attitude. Of course, she always found it kind of funny how one bad deed seemed to follow her more than any of her other adventures with her son. She would have loved for people to remember the time she infuriated the mermaids by making them think Peter was near. Those stupid mermaids adored Peter but for all the wrong reasons. They didn't see an extraordinary boy who did amazing things. They saw someone they could trick and drown. They wanted to get their hands on him so badly, yet they never succeeded.

"Look, mama," Peter interrupted her thoughts by holding a book in her face.

She took the book in her hand, holding it away from her face so she could focus on it. _Peter Pan_. She rolled her eyes and ruffled Peter's hair. "We have this at home. In fact, we have _several_ of these at home."

"A fan of _Peter Pan_, are you?" Belle asked as Peter leaned against one of the stacks.

"Oh. Yeah," Isabel nodded, smiling at Belle.

"That's because I am Peter Pan," Peter mumbled.

Belle giggled at him. "Are you?" She squinted her eyes at him for a second. "You know, I can kind of see it. If you were flying, there'd be no doubt."

Peter grumbled as he walked off. Belle looked up at Isabel as if to apologize, but Isabel shook her head. "No, no. He's a little sore about not being able to fly yet. I'm Isabel by the way."

"Belle," the brunette smiled, holding her hand out.

Isabel took the girl's hand before turning to look at the library. "I love what you've done with the place. I imagine it was a nightmare to clean up."

Belle nodded. "A little, yeah. It was really dusty, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was once a maid for someone, and trust me. When I got there, the place was covered in dust and grime. After a bit, I had it looking good as new."

"I don't remember Beauty ever being a maid," Isabel smiled.

"Ah. That's because almost every version of my story is wrong," Belle giggled.

"So you've read it?" Isabel asked.

"Of course. I've been reading many of the stories simply because of Henry," Belle smiled.

The sound of a book smacking flat against the floor could be heard. Isabel turned to see Peter scowling over at them. Ever since the curse had broken, Peter strove to reunite all of the lost boys. Of course, he couldn't quite do that with Henry hanging around so much. For some reason, Peter didn't quite like Henry. His only explanation was that Henry simply lacked leadership abilities and yet still tried to be a leader. Isabel guessed it was more like Henry cramped Peter's style. She could see the similarities in the two boys where Peter staunchly refused they had nothing in common. Peter didn't' like when someone tried to speak over him, and Henry did just that she assumed. She guessed he got that from her. Then again, his father had been the same way.

Isabel turned her attention back to Belle. The girl studied Isabel closely. "Where's Peter's father? Is he here in Storybrooke?" she asked.

"No. He's isn't here. At least, I haven't seen him," Isabel answered quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Belle frowned. "Did something happen to him before the curse?"

Isabel didn't know how to answer that. Belle was the dark one's girlfriend. Whatever she told Belle could be repeated to him and that could be used against her. It wasn't that she didn't trust Belle. Isabel was vaguely aware of her husband's history with Rumplestiltskin. He'd moan and groan about it when he would drink in Neverland. "We parted ways not long before Peter was born and I guess he managed to escape the curse."

"You gave up your true love? May I ask why?" Belled looked as if that was the worst thing she'd ever heard.

"Magic," Isabel shrugged.

"Oh," Belle frowned.

Peter came up to Isabel. "I couldn't choose just one. Help me?"

His mother giggled. Almost everyone knew how much Peter loved stories. After all, it was part of his story from that world. It was why he would sneak off to other lands. He liked adventures, and he especially liked stories that incorporated him as the hero. Even though they were usually false, he still enjoyed them greatly. He liked the idea of people believing in him. That was why it somewhat baffled her that he disliked Henry so much. Henry believe in everyone. He knew the truth before anyone else did.

Peter placed the books on the counter for Isabel to look at. She could feel Belle watching her and she realized Peter had interrupted their conversation. She was partially thankful for her son's slight rudeness. He had saved her from delving too deeply into her past. She really wasn't ready for anyone outside her family to know the truth. They were still coping. Isabel was still coping with everything. Hell, the entire town was still reeling from the curse breaking. With Emma and Mary Margaret gone, no one really knew what the next move should be. All they knew was David was looking for a way to save them. Once Peter chose _Gulliver's Travels_, he went to return all the books. Now Isabel had no choice but to answer Belle.

"Sorry," she apologized. "He does have manners. He just forgets them from time to time. You were asking about my husband, right?"

"Yes, but I don't want to pry into your personal business. People like to do that with me so I try not to do it to anyone else really," Belle told her as she checked out the book for Peter.

"I imagine people aren't entirely polite when asking about yours," Isabel mused.

Belle nodded. "And they all have some story about something horrible he'd done to them. No one believes he can change."

"Everyone is capable of change. Be it good or bad. They just need a reason to change and that's all." She smiled at Belle. "I know change if possible. Difficult but possible."

"You're Tinkerbell, aren't you?" Belle asked.

"Absolutely," Peter interrupted. "Couldn't you tell?"

Belle shook her head. "Almost everything I've seen leaves out any physical description or she's blonde." The bell above the door rang. The three of them turned to see Rumplestiltskin standing in the doorway. Belle went over to greet him. Taking him by the arm, she led him over to meet Peter and Isabel. "Rumple, this is Isabel and her son Peter," she smiled.

"I thought the library was closed until you got everything sorted," Rumplestiltskin said quietly.

Isabel got the feeling he didn't want them there, and by the way Peter fidgeted beside her, she knew he sensed it too. She could only guess if Rumple could tell anything about her and her son. In all their travels, they never had the displeasure of meeting him. Isabel considered them lucky in that regard. Still, he probably could smell magic on them if it was shoddy at the present. Rumple was powerful. As the Dark One, there was no telling what he could tell just by looking at them. Fairies could see auras around people. They could feel magic on those with magic as well as on those that had been deeply affected by magic. Sometimes they could see it before it happened. Isabel certainly could once she gained her powers. It usually made her feel queasy when she was around evidence of dark magic. Her stomach would churn, and she would have to excuse herself until she could handle it. Belle didn't give off that vibe. It was as if she didn't let it bother her all that much. She dealt with it. Rumpled wreaked of the evil magic. That was to be excepted, wasn't it?

Isabel picked up the book and handed it to Peter. "We'll see you later, Belle," she smiled as she led Peter out of the library.

* * *

Isabel smiled at Ruby as the taller girl handed the bag of food to her. Peter was far too busy with his new book that he didn't feel like leaving the house. Once he got immersed into any story, it was hard to pull him from it. After leaving Granny's, she somehow managed to get lost in her thoughts and didn't see Rumple heading for her. She bumped into him, and her eyes widened. "Sorry, Mr. Gold. I was distracted."

"That's quite alright, though I would suggest paying more attention next time," he told her.

"Yes, I completely agree," she said quietly. She started to walk away from him, but he grabbed her gently by the wrist.

"Tell me, dearie. Do I detect a little magic on you?" he asked.

There was a point in her life where she would have been a little offended by the question. She didn't possess a little magic. She had enough magic to make Rumplestiltskin quake in hsi boots. It was why she went to Neverland in the first place. She was what you'd call all-powerful. People did bad things for just the slightest taste of her magic, which was why she left before her husband returned. The man in front of her was the cautionary tale of someone who sought her kind of magic. Even with the intention of doing good, they would end up corrupt and evil. "You know the answer to that," she told him. "You can see it all around me."

"The asking was just my politeness," he nodded.

She gave him a wary look. "And your bumping into me?"

"Planned," he openly admitted. "I need to ask about your husband."

"How do you know anything about that?" She shifted on her feet, suddenly very nervous about the encounter.

"Belle told me who you were and she mentioned who your son is. I read between the lines. Plus, they boy looks like the spitting image of his father. Without the hook of course." He leaned a little on his cane. "Tell me. Why did you leave him?"

"That is none of your business and I doubt you are interested in that story to begin with," she scoffed.

His jaw clenched, and Isabel could see his mind shifting gears. "I want to know if you've seen him at all since the curse has broken."

"Not at all. Perhaps he died. Or maybe he's coming for you," she smirked.

"Do not anger me, pixie. I can destroy you," he warned, though they both knew better. "Your husband took my wife from me."

"And you're trying to see if he left her in my care?" Isabel asked.

"No. She's dead. Long dead. I wanted to dispose of him. Figured you would be of some help since he caused you so much grief in Neverland," he answered.

"Despite all he did in Neverland, he is still my husband and I would never sell him out to anyone." She held her head somewhat high. She didn't care if he got angry at her. Isabel would not give him the chance to kill Killian. Of course, he couldn't anyways. Killian was not in Storybrooke.

"Even after he cheated on you? That's very noble of you, dearie." He took a step closer to her. "But also very foolish."

"I am sorry he took your wife, but he did not cheat on me," Isabel corrected.

"Then you have a very interesting relationship," Rumple joked.

She shook her head. "If you must know, he thought I was dead. Killian thought I was murdered by enemy pirates so I cannot count it as cheating. Nor could I ever hold that against him. I apologize for his actions because it was my own actions that possibly led to your heart ache, but you seem to be doing just fine without her." It was something she grappled with a lot. Her disappearance led Killian to become who Captain Hook essentially. If Rumple wanted to punish anyone for Killian's misdeeds, it needed to be her and no one else. She was the start of it all.

However, he didn't act out against her. He just shook his head. "You are not responsible for his actions. I cannot take a mother from her son. That is what he did, and I imagine you worked hard to keep your son safe. He made his own decisions. He will be the only one to answer for them." He gestured to the bag in her hand. "Your dinner is getting cold. You should hurry home to your son."


	7. Chapter 6: Island of Corspes

_**I would like to thank Johnny Storms Girl and Em-Jaye for reviewing, favoriting, and following the story! Once again, I really appreciate everyone for reading the story! It's become a labor of love, and I want to get it right for everyone. Thank you for your patience when I don't get on updating quickly! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I watched the three episodes that are covered in this chapter so much that I've dreamed about them. Yeah. I wanted to get everything right and made sure I could make everything work as seamlessly as I hoped. Let me know what you guys**_** think!**

* * *

_Enchanted Forest – Present_

His usefulness was finally coming into play. He received word from Cora that it was time for him to play his part in everything. She warned him the group of women may see through his act, but he was to gain their trust through any means necessary. Once he joined their party, he was to send word and have Cora waiting for them at the beanstalk. Little did she know, he had an alternative plan; one that may very well end in his death.

He found it fitting that he had to hide himself amongst the dead bodies. Cora really had a flare for the dramatic; having ripped the entire camp's hearts out. Then she hid him. They had to find him, break up their little women's only club. She wanted them to need him. Only he could help them. Only he could lead them to Cora. He had to be honest with himself. He enjoyed the idea of someone needing him again. Laying underneath the bodies, he heard the women approaching. They were discussing Cora and Lancelot; what to tell everyone at camp. He looked at the dead man next to him. "How do you feel about Cora's betrayal, mate?" He paused as if the man were actually going to open his mouth and answer. "Yeah. Me too." He didn't have time to chuckle. The women were upon him.

"This can't be! Our land! We were protected here – hidden. How did the ogres find us?" Mulan questioned in almost a panic.

"Ogres didn't do this," Snow corrected her.

"What?" Mulan asked.

"Cora did. Their hearts, they were ripped out." Snow sounded so broken and earnest, and Killian wanted to laugh at her for it. Cora did say the fairest of them all was too compassionate. "This is her magic, twisted and evil. We have to stop her."

Show time. It had to be Killian's best performance yet. He needed to make them believe he had tricked Cora and managed to be spared. He had to be as pathetic as Cora wanted him to be. He had to play the character he'd been playing for what seemed like months now. Killian started to wave his hand, moaning as if he were actually trapped.

"Help," he forced out, and they noticed. "Oh go help!" He felt someone pulling him from the pile of bodies. "Please." He struggled to get free, gasped, and pretended he was terrified of Snow White's cherub face. How deceiving that face actually was. She told him that he was safe and she just seemed so sincere. "Thank you."

The princess that Phillip jabbered on about and that Swan girl helped him stand. His legs were convincingly shaky, and he trembled as he held onto them. They bought every second of it. As they helped him to a table, he realized one thing. They could help him get to Storybrooke just as well if not better than Cora could. When it came to loyalty, Killian placed it in whoever his best bet was. Cora was just as fickle. Whoever could help, she'd place her allegiance in but never her faith. She trusted him about as much as he trusted her. Like Killian, she planned everything ten or twenty steps ahead and for every possibility imaginable. If the women were as smart as Cora gave them credit for, then they couldn't be all that bad. They might even be helpful to him. They sat him at the table and then walked away from him.

"You definitely seen him before?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Mulan answered. "He's a blacksmith, came to our camp a couple months ago. He said he lost his hand in an ogre attack." She paused for a second. "Why would Cora leave a survivor?"

The four women stood off at a distance from Killian. They watched him warily, which he had expected. He rubbed at his eyes, pretending as if he were still in distress. He'd always been good at playing people. It was part of why Captain Finnegan kept him as part of the crew. He was good at stealing, great at fooling people. Well, he was good at fooling most people. Only one person could see through him. That was Isabel. She always told him how terribly transparent he was. No matter how many times he tested that theory, she could always call him out. "Some fearsome pirate you are," she'd giggle. For a brief moment, the hurt he displayed was real.

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness. Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to show me favor," Hook told the women as they finally approached him.

"An island full of corpses. You're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?" She didn't trust him. Maybe she was much smarter than he thought.

He looked up at her, trying to sound as pitiful as he could. He was going to have to do his absolute best with this Emma character. "She attacked at night – slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out people's hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself. Mercifully, the ruse worked."

"So much for fortune favoring the brave," Emma muttered.

"It was all I could do to survive," Killian defended himself.

Emma leaned in close to him. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me."

"I'm telling you the truth." He didn't really even know what the truth was. All he knew was his vengeance.

"We should leave here in case Cora decides to come back," Milan suggested as she looked around cautiously.

"We should start searching for a new portal back to Storybrooke. I only got about five minutes with my husband, not to mention my grandson," Snow said the last bit so nonchalantly, as if someone who looked so young could have a grandson.

"You have a grandson?" he asked slightly amused.

Snow shook her head. "Long story."

"Well, I know this land well. I can guide you." Killian started to stand, but Emma grabbed him by his hair and held a dagger to his throat. He fought the urge to tell her how that particularly trick had already been used on him, and he married the girl that did it. Of course, Emma seemed a little too abrasive for his liking.

"You're not going to guide us anywhere, until you tell us who you really are," she told him.

Killian swallowed as he scrambled to think about what he could possibly say to get her to believe him. What could he do? What kind of trust could he sew with Emma and the rest of the group? How could he prove he was worthy to join their party? Easy. He wouldn't. It became plain to him as he contemplated what he had seen of Emma. She didn't trust anyone. It didn't even seem like she trusted herself all that much. If he were hoping to gain her trust, he would fail miserably. He didn't like to fail. Failure was never an option for Killian. He had failed twice in his life, and both times he swore he would not fail again.

Widening his eyes, he tried not to speak so calmly. "Please. I assure you. I mean you now harm! I'm only a blacksmith!"

"Bullshit," Emma spat. "Cora wouldn't leave a survivor. It's a loose end, and I'm guessing she doesn't like loose ends."

Snow nodded in front of him, and he knew Emma looked to her for confirmation. From what he knew, Snow knew how Cora worked. She knew how Cora would think. Emma was new to the land, and where she wanted to go out with guns blazing, Snow took a more calculated approach. The blade left his throat. He thought she might have had a change of heart, but then Mulan grabbed one of his arms while Emma took the other. They led him over to a tree, tying him to it.

"You can't just leave me here!" Hook argued.

"Watch us," Emma told him.

He fought against the ropes. "I told you. I'm just a blacksmith."

"Sure you are," Emma nodded. Turning, she whistled loudly. Loud enough to alert the ogres. Their groans and growls echoed throughout the clearing. "Don't want to talk to us? Maybe you'll have something to say to the ogres. I'm sure they'll listen while they tear you apart." Thunderous footsteps approached them, and Emma didn't seem like she cared very much that she had put all five of them in danger. Gathering a few things, she motioned to the other three women. "Come on."

Killian watched them start to walk off, and he called for them to wait. They continued to walk away from him. Aurora was the only one naive enough to believe he might be telling the truth. Emma shut down Aurora's suggestion that Killian might be truthful, and he growled internally. "Good for you! You bested me! I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand."

"That a joke?" Emma stepped closer to him. "Who are you really?"

"Killian Jones," he answered, "but most people have taken to call me by my more colourful moniker – Hook."

"Hook…" Snow said in disbelief.

"Check my satchel," he nodded to the bag Snow was holding. She reached inside, pulling the silver hook from the bag.

Emma was still a bit skeptical, "As in, Captain Hook?"

"Ah," he mused. "So you've heard of me."

Emma stepped even closer to him. She wore a slightly more menacing look on her face, though Killian wasn't buying it. "You better hurry up. They're getting closer. So, unless you want to be dinner, you better start talking."

"Cora wanted me to gain your trust, so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there," he told them.

"She can't get there. We destroyed the wardrobe," Emma corrected Killian.

"Ah, but the enchantment remains," he smirked at her. "Cora gathered the ashes. She's going to use them to open up a portal. Now, if you'll kindly cut me loose."

"No!" Mulan interjected. "We should leave him here to die. To pay for all the lives that he took."

Killian glared at Mulan. "That was Cora, not me."

"Let's go," Emma spoke up.

The four women started to leave again. Killian was not going to meet his end at the hands of a bunch of smelly ogres. " Wait. Wait! You need me alive."

Emma turned around quickly. "Why?"

"Because we both want the same thing – to get back to your land," he answered.

"You would say anything to save yourself. Why are we supposed to believe you now?" Emma asked.

"I arranged for transport with Cora. But, seeing how resourceful you are, I'll offer you the same deal. I'll help you, if you promise to take me along," he told her.

He then told them about a certain compass that Cora sought. The compass would help Cora get to Storybrooke through the portal. Without the compass, Cora would end up anywhere. The compass made the destination a little more specific. Killian was a little unsure of where exactly this new plan might take him. Sure he planned on betraying Cora in the first place, but there was something he hadn't really planned on. Emma Swan. She was unpredictable. While he planned on Snow putting up a fight, he hadn't really expected her daughter to be so much like her. Then again, Emma didn't seem the meek and mild type like Aurora. She was a warrior like Mulan and Snow. He could see it written all over her. There were things she fought in her life. She was fighting to get home to her son. She was fighting for her family.


	8. Chapter 7: Sneaking Off

**_I would like to thank gracie000, Kira Tsumi, angelvoice15, _Blueberryymuffin, trickst3r-97, and Avis11 _for reviewing, favoriting, and following the story! As usual, I appreciate the support!_**

* * *

_Enchanted Forest – Past_

A pair of bright blue eyes watched Isabel as she scurried to the docks once more. She was looking for that pirate she had been seen with. Every time the brightly painted ship stopped into port, she would run faster than any of the other women waiting for men on the ships. She would run as if he were her true love, but Terence knew that couldn't be it. That couldn't be it at all. Isabel was far too good for a pirate. There was nothing noble about a pirate, and Isabel deserved the love of a prince. Of course, Terence couldn't offer that. He wasn't a prince, but he could at least give her something that pirate couldn't. Stability. Sure he was just a delivery boy of sorts, but he at least could guarantee Isabel that he wasn't going to go off and get himself killed. The pirate couldn't do that. Every time he came in, he came home with a limp or some new bruise that Isabel cooed over. Terence couldn't stand the pirate, and anyone who paid attention could tell that.

It wasn't just that the pirate had Isabel where Terence never would. There was something about Isabel that just drew him to her. Terence had a little secret. Late at night when the rest of the village was asleep, he would disappear to a far off land where he stood only seven inches high. He was a fairy. Not just a fairy but a fairy prince, and as such, he often spent a lot of time going from human realm to human realm to seek those who didn't know if they were magical or not. Isabel was one of those people, but she was also very special. It was what drew him to her in the first place. She didn't just have magic. She was magic in a sense. Her mother, the one everyone in the village thought died, was also magic in the way Isabel was. As tiny as both women were, they both held more magic than any other magical being could even dream of possessing. And, it wasn't just that Terence was in love with Isabel. It was that he was to protect her and be her friend. Once Killian came into her life, that friendship seemingly over.

It tore Terence apart to think he had failed in his one task. All his life he heard about how he was to protect and eventually love the fairy that held all the magic of all the land. It didn't quite work out. Maybe it was that she was part human. Isabel was half human after all. That meant she also possessed the capacity of true love. As he watched her turn back with a disappointed look on her face, he realized something. If he had any hope of getting her to love him, then he would have to show just how mortal Killian actually was. He would have to fight him. Terence didn't plan on killing the boy. He simply wanted to show Isabel that people like Killian were going to die eventually. If he couldn't prove it to her, then he would just have to find another way or give up. There was no way he was going to give up.

* * *

Isabel winced as her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the empty square. The light form the moon gave it an eerie quality. Usually the square was full of people, but at night, it cleared out for the most part. It looked like a ghost town. The few people that did stick around were those with bad reputations. The only reason Isabel was out was because Killian would be waiting for her. He had sent word that the ship would be docking. He wasn't sure what time; just the date. All day Isabel ran to the docks to see if he had made it. Eventually, she just started running tot he river where she got a clear view of the horizon. At sunset, she thought she'd seen the Jolly Roger in the distance. It would be a few hours before they reached port. Her father half-heartedly forbade her from leaving the house after nightfall. They both knew she would just climb out the window or she would simply walk out in front of him. Either way, she was going to see her love. Nothing would stop her.

The townsfolk would talk in the morning. Those nosy enough to look out their windows would whisper behind hers and Killian's back. What a pity someone as promising as Isabel found herself infatuated with a pirate. She'd heard it over and over in the year since she and Killian fell in love. Where she lived, true love was extremely rare. People talked about it. Girls dreamed of it. Few achieved it. The girls in town were jealous of Isabel's luck so they gossiped about her any chance they got. Everyone else just thought it was a shame for William, but instead of him being embarrassed, he was happy for her. Having experienced one of the strongest and most fiercest forms of love, William wasn't going to deny his daughter a chance at it. And, it was apparent what Killian and Isabel had was indeed true love.

The hem of Isabel's blue dress snagged on one of the uneven cobblestones. A tiny rip echoed throughout the square, and Isabel cursed quietly as she looked down. In the hem of the dress was a tiny little tear. For a second, she thought it might be a sign to just turn around and go back home. The townspeople always talked about how bad things happened at night. She shook the thought from her dress. Nothing bad was going to happen to her. Even if she couldn't see Killian, she knew he was probably watching her. She felt safe with that knowledge.

Isabel continued on her way to the docks. They were to meet at the light pole that stood just at the end. Killian would be waiting for her. Her heart started to beat faster, fluttering at even the mere suggestion of him being there. After five months of not seeing her love, Isabel was becoming desperate to just be near him. They had figured out ways to communicate, but even a frequent carrier pigeon could not make up for his absence. Nothing could. Unless he was there, Isabel would continue to miss him. At first, she felt completely lost without him. Once they discovered the truth about their love for one another, it was as if she couldn't live without him. Of course, Isabel was not going to kid herself in thinking love would make Killian go legit. He did love being a pirate as well. The crew, especially Captain Finnegan, were his family. She wasn't about to ask him to give all that up just for her. Any other girl might have, but Isabel didn't want him to ever resent her for anything. That all came before and she was content being in second place if it meant Killian was happy.

She hurried as fast as she could. As she got closer, she could make out his shape leaning against the light pole. It was certainly him. The shadows hid part of his face, giving him a slightly sinister look, but Isabel knew there was nothing sinister about the boy waiting for her. Where everyone saw a vile pirate, Isabel saw a kindhearted person who would do anything for her. Killian was not cruel like some of the men on his ship. They would murder anyone who stood in the way of their treasure, and perhaps if the right treasure came along, Killian would too. Until then, Isabel couldn't see him as anything other than the person she had fallen in love with. Finally, she was standing just five feet away from his; his face no longer hidden. He pushed himself off the pole. Compared to her, Killian was so tall. His longer legs made the five feet between them seem more like three, and he was soon standing in front of her and holding her face in his hands. Smiling down at her, he leaned in to kiss her sweetly. He had no idea just how much she had missed him. Were they married, Isabel would be able to show him exactly how much she missed him. Kisses would have to suffice, though Isabel was sure she could kiss him for the rest of eternity and it wouldn't even touch how much she actually she missed him.


	9. Chapter 8: Where We Left Off

_**I would like to thank JohnnyStormsGirl, PaintMeNeon, Bella-me09, readerlover16, Mrs Haynes, LoveYou369, BloodAlchemist23, Travisgulch, Littledot, and viciousblackrose for reviewing, following, and favoriting my story! I truly appreciated it! Everyone let me know what you think of the newest addition to the Tinkerhook world I am creating. What do you think of Terence so far?  
**_

* * *

_Storybrooke - Present_

"Isabel, wait up!" a voice called behind.

The petite brunette turned with a smile as she saw Terence running up to her. She waited for him to catch up before she started walking again. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you doing anything tonight?" he asked. "I mean, I know you're probably going to work on a lesson plan or something, but I was wondering if you were maybe free for maybe an hour? Two hours at the most?" He looked at her hopeful.

Isabel took a deep breath. She had meant to call Terence and invite him to dinner. Peter had been asking for him, but with the curse being lifted, she was struggling with figuring out where exactly she and Terence stood. Before the curse had been lifted, Terence was Ethan Montgomery. He worked as somewhat of a delivery boy. Whenever someone needed something delivered around town, Ethan was who everyone went to. If the nuns needed something from the market, he'd take it to them. If Archie was working through lunch, Ethan would grab something for him. To Isabel, he wasn't a glorified errand boy. Ethan Montgomery was her boyfriend; soon to be fiancé if he could ever get up the courage to ask her to marry him. They were madly in love, and the entire town would whisper about how they were so perfect for one another. They even commented on what a cute little family they would make. And, Peter adored Ethan.

After the curse had been broken and they knew what their past really was, Terence sort of pulled back from Isabel and Peter. It broke Isabel's heart really. Even though they were only friends to begin with, she did care for him. Storybrooke may have been a different life completely, but her feelings never really went away. Like everyone else, she had to deal with balancing the two different lives. That meant whatever feelings she had for Ethan were real and still remained. It wasn't just that he had pulled away from her. He pulled away from Peter as well. Peter tried not to take it personally. He tried to understand, but it was obvious when he starting asking if Terence was ever going to come around again.

"I'm fine," she nodded.

He grinned. "Awesome. Do you want to maybe go to Granny's?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Pick me up around six?"

"Yeah. See you then," he nodded. He kissed her on the cheek. "Tell Peter I said hello." 

* * *

Isabel sat across from Terence. The two of them were incredibly nervous. He said he wanted to talk, which kind of scared Isabel. As confused as she was about where they stood with one another, she hoped they could at least remain more like he wanted nothing to do with her. She mostly hated it for Peter. Terence was a father figure to Peter, and without much hope of ever seeing Killian again, she didn't want Peter to lose Terence or his influence. She fidgeted with her silverware as Terence stared at her. Part of her wanted to run. The other part wanted him to get to the point.

Looking up, his green eyes met hers. There was a tenderness there that she always loved. They reminded her of Killian. Even after becoming Hook, his eyes were still just so calming. Of course, that was incredibly deceiving after he became a hardened pirate. Terence's were never deceiving. The tenderness was genuine, and it put Isabel at ease. While looking into his eyes, her nervousness disappeared. She sat up straighter, pushing her silverware away from her.

"You look beautiful," he spoke up, giving her a shy smile.

Isabel blushed. "Thank you. You look very handsome."

"How have you been?" he asked. "How's Peter?"

"We're both very good. He misses you. I miss you," she told him.

A hopeful look crossed his face. It was almost a look of relief too. Terence looked truly relieved to hear that she missed him. "I'm sorry I've been so absent."

"You were just trying to figure everything out, right? No need to apologize for that," she waved him off.

"It wasn't unfair to either of you," he said sadly. He took a deep breath. "I have figured things out for myself, though."

"Do tell," she smiled.

"Well, I like the life I had during the curse, and my magic hasn't quite come back. Until the fairy dust is made, I can't really do anything. But then there's us…'

"What about us?" she asked.

"I'd like for us to try," he told her. "I've always loved you, Isabel."

All she could do was nod. It wasn't really a surprise to her. After all, he had fought Killian in hopes of winning her heart. Still, the fact that his feelings remained after all that time was a little shocking.

Terence let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at Isabel. "Oh thank god."

Giggling, she reached for his hand. "Were you really that worried?"

"I wasn't sure if…well, if you had found Killian or what you'd even want to do," he told her, taking her hand.

"Killian is gone," she said sadly. "My marriage is over. Remember. I left him."

"I didn't know if maybe things were…" he shook his head as he trailed off.

"You're over thinking it, love," she laughed.

"I guess I am. How about we just enjoy our evening. It's been a while," he grinned.

"Let's do that," she nodded.

The waitress came to take their order. It put Isabel somewhat at ease knowing Terence hadn't just given up. If she was going to spend her life with someone else, she'd prefer it be someone who knew her. She wanted someone genuine in their feelings. He was, and they had a past together. As far back as she could remember, Terence had always been there; even before Killian had been. She remembered when she was a kid. Some of the kids in the village were teasing her for being so small. One of the older boys pushed her, and Terence cause her before she could hit the ground. That was her first memory of him, though she was sure he had always been there. He told her once that he had. His job was to look out for her, to protect her. The falling in love with part had really just happened. They had been friends once. Of course, Isabel got a case of tunnel vision when Killian came into her life. It never occurred to her that Terence may have feelings for her. Not that it really mattered; he wasn't her true love.

Part of her felt guilty. Then again, guilt seemed to be the one thing she couldn't shake in Storybrooke. She felt guilty for leaving her husband, lying to her son, it taking a curse to return Terence's feelings. She also felt somewhat guilty for returning those feelings. Something told her that Killian wasn't really dead; that he was somewhere out there. Isabel always believed she would feel it in her heart if he were truly gone. When he left Neverland, sure her heart ached, but nothing felt severed. Whatever connected them didn't feel cut off detached. In her heart, she knew he was alive. She just didn't know how or where. Knowing Killian, he'd find a way. With news of Mary Margaret and Emma finding a way to contact Henry, she was absolutely certain that Killian must have found a way to survive. She didn't know how, but her faith in her husband only grew stronger. 

* * *

Isabel watched Ruby had been to the mines to deliver lunch to the dwarves. She probably also went to check on what was going on at Rumplestiltskin's shop. Henry had been having nightmares, or that was the word on the street. What he described sounded like an awful place to go when you were sleeping, and Isabel couldn't imagine Peter going through it. It was a bad place. Regina and David must have been really desperate to go to Rumplestiltskin for help. After all, the imp never did anything out of the kindness of his heart. He would have a price. He may not have named it outright to them, but eventually, he would call in a favor to both David and Regina; maybe even Henry if he saw fit. It sickened Isabel to think what that monster might want from them, and all because Henry was having trouble sleeping.

Yet, there was a bit of hope. There was a way for them to contact the lost Snow White and Emma. Inside the room with Henry was another person who had been put under a sleeping curse. She also just happened to be with Henry's mother and grandmother. They could communicate with her, which had been a major breakthrough in trying to get the two of them back. That was really the last anybody had heard of it. The entire town buzzed because of the news. People were hopeful they would be able to return to their former lives. While seeing Neverland again would be nice for Isabel, she wasn't quite sure if she could go back to the life at all. The post-cursed Storybrooke seemed like a great opportunity that most weren't trying to take. They wanted to go home because Regina took it from them. Isabel felt a tad differently. While Regina did take her from the life she was accustomed, good things were coming from the curse. It was that way for many in the town, but they chose to ignore that and continue to stay angry at Regina. It was petty, stupid, and a waste of time as far as Isabel was concerned. Until she was standing in the enchanted forest again, she would not think it possible for them to go back. She wasn't a skeptic by any means. She believed it entirely possible to move through realms, but Storybrooke lacked the amount of power necessary. A few diamonds in a mine for pixie dust simply wasn't enough. The town was kidding itself if they thought that would be enough for anything really.

Ruby went behind the counter, tying the apron around her waist. She grabbed the coffee pot and greeted a couple of guests. They eagerly waited for Ruby to mention whatever she knew about the mines or anything on Henry. At Granny's, it was somewhat customary to eavesdrop on conversations. And, it was no secret that Ruby gossiped all the time. That only changed a little with the curse broken. Isabel wasn't sure there was a big difference since Ruby tended to discuss with Granny openly.

"Any change?" Granny asked.

Ruby shook her head. "No. Apparently he's waiting for Snow now."

"It was foolish of him to think she'd be able to help him," Granny mumbled. "Go refresh everyone's coffee."

Ruby nodded. As she walked out from behind the counter, Isabel looked over to Terence. The two of them were thinking the same thing. David must have done something incredibly stupid. Now he had to wait for Snow to return, but her return might never happen. Isabel remembered the confrontation between Regina and Rumple the day before in Granny's. Everyone knew Regina's mother was working on getting to Storybrooke. No one wanted that. Cora was not someone to trifle with. If David had to bank on Snow's return to get him out of whatever he had done, things had gotten grimmer than anyone hoped. Snow had a very slim chance of beating Cora. Sure Emma wasn't exactly inept and Snow knew how to handle herself, but they weren't nearly as powerful as Cora. Her magic was incredible. They had very little chance.

"That sounds promising," Terence mumbled.

"No it doesn't," Isabel agreed. She smiled up at Ruby when she topped off Isabel's coffee.

"How are you two?" Ruby asked with a big grin. "Happy to see you two are back together. I know Peter's going to be happy." Ruby bit her lip. "Can I ask you two something?" She waited for them to nod in response and took a seat next to Isabel. "If David willingly went under a sleeping curse, is it possible he can wake up on his own?"

So that's what David had done. He had put himself under a sleeping curse. Isabel really didn't want to know why. It was unimportant really. "He can't wake up unless he has true love's kiss, which he's fresh out of."

"That's what I thought," Ruby frowned.

"I would suggest making him comfortable and hoping he's safe where he is," Isabel told the taller girl.

"He'll be okay," Ruby said. "I think."

"Why did he willingly curse himself?" Terence asked.

"Henry got badly hurt," she answered.

"How so?" he asked.

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. I think he got burnt or something."

Isabel's eyebrows furrowed. As the story unfolded, she wasn't liking the sound of it. She shook her head. "Everyone needs to start figuring out what we're going to do as we are now completely without a sheriff."

Ruby looked over at Isabel. "Why?"

"Cora is on her way. You think Regina is bad? You have no idea what bad is then," Isabel told her.

"Aren't you…" Ruby began.

"Doesn't matter who I am," Isabel interrupted her. "If Cora makes it here, we're all going to be royally fucked."


	10. Chapter 9: Atop the Beanstalk

_**I would like to**** thank ****BaDWolF89, Kira Tsumi, BloodMoonWanes, and Pyro Loves Ice ****for****reviewing, following, and favoriting this story! It means so much to me that so many people are showing support for the story. If you want to follow my tumblr for the page, please do so! The link can be found on my profile. I would love some more followers over there, and I'm on it a lot more than I am here. So if you want to chat, ask a question, or just stalk the hell out of the page because I post pretty pictures of Colin/Killian and sometimes Lucy/Isabel, you should definitely follow!**_

**_Also, I am sorry if the last chapter was confusing. I am not going to make any excuses like I lost inspiration or anything. I am trying to set something up that may or may not lead into a sequel. Who knows? Just please be patient while I work out the kinks and everything. _**

**_Lastly, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I put a lot of hard work into it. Parsing episodes of OUAT and trying to figure out what parts I want to rewrite completely or keep the same are very time consuming so this chapter is kind of like my baby. I won't say anything more about it. Like I said, I just hope everyone enjoys the chapter!_**

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_Enchanted Forest - Present_

Killian rolled his eyes as Snow, Aurora, and Mulan argued over one another to figure out who should accompany him on the beanstalk. The Swan girl, on the other hand, stood off to the side. Like Killian, she seemed a little more than exasperated with the display the three women before them were putting on. Killian had joked that they should just go at it with one another, but he didn't think they would actually be so literal with it. He watched in amusement as they argued at first. After an hour of arguing, time was running out. Cora would be on her way to them, and he would rather like to not still be around when she showed up. It was one thing to betray her and head for the hills. It was pure stupidity to do so and stick around. Although, he found the prospect of seeing her face when she realized what he had done to be quite intriguing. She dangled his going to Storybrooke over his head every chance she got like he was a dog begging for just a scrap. When he tried to act like he didn't care, she would remind him of why he wanted to go in the first place. Using his revenge against him, she would make him bend to her will again. Of course, one thing stuck out to him that he didn't quite understand. She mentioned once, somewhat offhandedly, that he would see familiar faces there. When he asked who it was, she said it would be someone he didn't expect to see. He wasn't sure what that meant, but he was sure that he didn't like she kept that information from him.

He half hoped he meant his wife, and while he walked with the group to the beanstalk, he thought about asking if anyone knew her. Should one of the say yes, he would know that she was still alive. However, he also remembered what he had seen that day. The burnt cabin and her shawl laying in the midst of ash and rubble. Isabel was gone. His child was gone. It was just better to not hold out any hope that they were still alive. It only led to disappointment. Killian was tired of disappointment. He wondered if perhaps Cora meant Peter Pan and that imp known as Tinkerbell. Had they made it to Storybrooke? After all, Killian only hadn't because of Cora's counterspell. Anyone outside of the little dome was subject to Regina's spell so maybe they had. It was to be expected, right? If they were who Cora meant, he hated to tell her that he did expect to run into them. They were nothing to him. Killian placed no sentimental value on their lives, and he swore that he would get his revenge on the boy and his flying ball of light. They had tortured him, mocked him. They were his enemies. Along with the crocodile, he'd have his revenge. If the Dark One could not use his magic, then surely Peter could not fly. If the boy couldn't fly, he had no chance of surviving against Killian. He'd run the boy through with his hook and smile as the glow of youth left Peter's body.

For Tinkerbell, his revenge would be much different. Neverland was supposed to be a land where no one aged, and it was supposed to be unfamiliar to him. Yet, the second he got close enough to make out the shape of a pixie, he felt a tug at his heart. She was familiar to him. It was to the point that he often found himself wanting to know more of her than to kill her. He could barely make out her face, but he wanted to hold her in his hand without the urge to crush her to death. Many times they found themselves as the outsiders, sitting off to the side while Peter got to have the adventures. Killian was unwanted because he was an adult. Tinkerbell found herself unwanted because she disagreed with Peter or some other ridiculous reason. They would sit and watch together; kindred spirits in those rare moments. For Tinkerbell, his revenge would not be so brutal. He might even offer the pixie her life in exchange for her help. Peter would have to die, though.

"It's me. I'm going, and I'm not going to fail," Emma cut in. Killian smiled. Out of the three women, she seemed the least likely to annoy him. Maybe she wasn't as maleable as say Aurora or as savvy as Snow or Mulan. Emma could likely stand her own if it came down to it. Not that Killian saw himself never returning from the giant's keep.

Snow stepped up to her daughter, quietly speaking. "You're new here."

"It's about getting back to Henry. I don't care what I have to face." She paused for her moment, seemingly bracing herself for Snow's retort. "You're not going to argue with me?"

"Would it do any good?" Snow asked.

"No." Emma turned to Mulan and gestured to the satchel the warrior wore. "Anything in that bag that's going to help me with a giant?"

"A hook?" Mulan quipped.

"Hey!" Killian frowned.

"Come with me," Mulan said to Emma. She took Emma to the side, and the two women began to whisper to one another.

Once again, Killian was the outsider. He watched Mulan pull a pouch from her satchel, handing it over to Emma. He would have liked to know what was in there, especially since he would be climbing the beanstalk as well. It was bad enough that Cora refused to fill him in on all the details of her plan, but he felt he at least deserved a heads up on what the women were planning for the top of the beanstalk. "Ladies," he interrupted. "In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick tock." Emma walked over to Hook, and he smirked at her. "I was hoping it'd be you."

"Just get on with it." The disdain in her voice was evident.

"Put your hand right here." Killian gestured to his shoulder, and Emma did as told. Taking Cora's enchanted cuff, he snapped it onto Emma's wrist with the same smirk as he wore before. Her disdain not deterring his usual nature towards any woman. "That's a good girl," he mumbled to her. "This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you." He pointed to his, well, lack of a hand to which Emma just rolled her eyes. "I can't climb one-handed, can I?"

Emma reached into the satchel, handing the hook over to Killian. "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second," she told him with a hint of warning in her voice.

"I would despair if you did," he smirked one last time.

The two of them began to climb. Hours passed, and Emma barely said anything to Killian. He hated silence almost as much as he hated too much talking. Still, they were in for a very long climb if they didn't start talking. He practically felt himself aging as they quietly climbed the beanstalk. The only sound heard was their heavy breathing and slight grunting. He half wanted to make some sarcastic remark about what their climbing actually sounded like, but he felt the joke would fall on unamused ears. Silence for Killian was a lot like time. There were many times where he prayed to the gods for some silence. Just a moment's peace in Neverland, but with that peace came something else. In Neverland, silence meant the worst of things were about to happen. Whether it were caused by his crew or something else, silence never meant anything good. It was the same when he and Isabel were together. If Isabel was silent, he could bet something was bound to happen; something that would lead to possibly the best make up sex of their lives. Still, the silence beforehand usually led to the small woman scaring Killian. And worst of all, he remembered the silence when he returned to her. Hoping to be greeted by his pregnant wife, he insted was greeted by the entire village holding their breath. No one could or would tell him where she was. He had to go and find what was left of their marriage.

Killian supposed he could break the silence with a little small talk. Women loved small talk, and they loved talking about themselves. Emma didn't seem the type. Perhaps if Aurora had won the argument, the silence would be filled with useless conversation about her precious prince and why Maleficent hated her in the first place. Of course, Killian never found it hard to imagine why anyone would hate certain princesses. Regina probably hated Snow White simply because the girl was lovelier than her, but at the same time, everyone knew the truth about Regina's love. Then there was the one her initially planned on rescuing from her cell in hopes she would thank him by sharing where the crocodile's dagger was hidden. He was sure there was someone out there who hated her as much as he did. Well, he didn't hate her as much as he didn't understand her. He guessed there was no real accounting for taste. She supposedly loved the monster, though he found that a little hard to believe. Then again, Milah had loved him, and Killian was far from innocent when they had met.

* * *

Emma and Killian were nearing the top of the beanstalk, and Killian was dying for some sort of sound. The more time that passed, the more he became paranoid as to what Emma might be planning. Something about her seemed so calculating. Sure she was mistrusting, and Killian wasn't about to argue that he was a model for honesty. Still, Emma could at the very least say something worth while. That's all Killian wanted. She didn't even have to make it worth while. She could comment on the scenery, and as he was more than sure she was getting a very nice view of his backside, a comment on that particular part of the scenery was more than welcome. He doubted she would be so bold as to tell him what a nice ass he had so he supposed he might want to get the conversation ball rolling.

"First beanstalk? Well, you never forget your first," he said with a chuckle. Then he added. "You know, most men would take your silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"I'm concentrating," she told him, though he knew better than that.

"No, you're afraid. Afraid to talk – to reveal yourself. Trust me – things'll be a lot smoother if you do," he egged her on.

"You should be used to people not trusting you." Ah, she was throwing it back at him.

"Ah, the pirate thing." He rolled his eyes and continued climbing. "Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."

"Am I?" she asked, slightly amused.

"Quite," he nodded. "Let's see – you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."

Emma rolled her eyes. "That's not perception. That's eavesdropping."

"Ah, but you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned," he added, mocking her only slightly.

"Was I?" she asked.

"Like I said, an open book." Killian could read people. While most tried to keep everything close to them, he could still figure them out. It was part of being a pirate; studying people until you could figure out how to swindle them. It may not have been the most skillful trait to have, but it certainly helped him out of a few scrapes. When he met Milah, he instantly could tell how miserable she was. Like him, she lived with pain. It was a different kind of pain but still pain nonetheless. He hated to say it, but it was that pain that drew him to her. Of course, the fact that she reminded him of Isabel also played a part in his rescuing her from her sham of a life.

"How would you know that?" she asked.

Looking up, he knew he did not want to tell her too much about himself. Nothing about his wife's death. Nothing about his father leaving him alone. Like her, he figured that less she knew about him the better off he would be. Then she wouldn't be able to use anything against him. Just as he wouldn't be able to use anything against her. "I spent many years in Neverland – home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes… The look you get when you've been left alone."

She pulled herself up by another vine on the beanstalk and looked at him. "Yeah, well, my world ain't Neverland."

"But an orphan's an orphan," he mused. "Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever even been in love?"

"No. I have never been in love," she lied.

_A lie_. That's exactly what it was. Even though she answered almost immediately, he knew that it wasn't true. A sadness filled her eyes, and he imagined that's how he used to look. Killian purposely hardened himself so that nothing would ever affect him again. Not love. Not sadness. Not anything. He guessed Emma had done the same thing, which made her a kindred spirit, but like Tinkerbell, it certainly didn't make Emma an ally. They could relate to one another, but at the end of the day, Killian was going to be about himself and no one else. He honestly hoped Emma wasn't like that. If it came down to it, he hoped she would save her companions. They were far more trustworthy than he was. She could probably guess that he had some plan to betray her as well, but Emma was the type to try and save anyone. It was just who she was really.

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked.

The question caught him off guard. "I have," he answered quietly. "Long ago. Several _hundred_ years ago. She had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen."

"What happened to her?" Emma asked.

"It doesn't matter. It was centuries ago, and I've mostly forgotten," he shrugged. And that was his biggest lie. After three hundred years or so, Killian still remembered everything about Isabel as if it happened only the day before. He remembered waking up next to her the morning after their wedding night. He remembered how full his heart felt when she told him that she was carrying his child. When the Dark One asked him what it was like to lose the woman that he loved, Killian knew exactly what it felt like. Rumplestiltskin reaching into his chest to extract his heart was unnecessary. Neverland served two purposes for Killian. One was to allow him to live long enough to figure out how to kill the immortal crocodile. The second was to help him forget his past. He wanted to forget the pain that lingered from Isabel's passing, and he wanted to forget the new wounds given to him by Rumplestiltskin.

With one last pull, they reached the top of the beanstalk. Killian looked around at the wreckage from the legendary battle that took place there. No. It certainly was not like the one Emma described when they first arrived. He imagined it being much more beautiful and definitely grander than what was in front of the two of them.

"What happened here?" Emma asked. She looked around with her mouth agape.

"It's where the final battle was," he answered. "Give me your hand."

"What?" she asked, obviously caught a little off guard.

"Your hand – it's cut. Let me help you," he told her.

Emma shook her head. "No, no. It's fine."

"No, it's not," he insisted.

"So, now you're going to be a gentleman?" she asked sarcastically.

Killian reached into his satchel and pulled a dark bottle from it. "Giants can smell blood. And I'm always a gentleman." Taking the cork in his mouth, he pulled it from the bottle. He poured the dark liquid onto her hand, which caused her to yell out and demand to know what it was. "It's rum. A bloody waste of it." He started to carefully tie a piece of fabric around her hand to control the bleeding. "We wait for the giant to fall asleep. And when he does, we'll sneak past him into his cave. It's where the treasures are – where the compass lies." Using his teeth, he securely tied the fabric.

"And then?" she asked as he tucked the excess underneath the fabric.

"And then we run like hell," he answered. He could feel her protest getting ready to spring forth. Maybe he shouldn't have hoped her for her to join him after all. Of course, Aurora would have been the only one to join him that would not complain or question his plan. That was just boring.

"I don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep," she grumbled. "The powder Mulan gave us – we need to use it. We got to knock him out."

"Well, that's riskier," he shrugged. Her face pretty much told him there was no arguing with her. "Ooh, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate." Reaching into his satchel, he pulled the puch Mulan had given Emma. As he held it out, his forearm was exposed to Emma, which she noticed almost immediately?

"Who's Milah on the tattoo?" she asked.

"Someone from long ago," he answered darkly.

"Where is she?" she asked.

"She's gone," he told her. He began to walk away from her. Emma already informed him that she too was good at reading people. The last thing he needed was for her to pry into his personal business. It was none of hers, just as she believed her business was none of his.

"Gold." He stopped in his tracks, and they turned to look at one another. "Rumpelstiltskin. He took more than your hand from you, didn't he? That's why you want to kill him."

He took a deep breath, cursing her for figuring it out all too quickly. She was effectively calling him on his lie so he would call her on her own. "For someone who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive, aren't you?"

"Maybe I was, once," she answered quietly.

* * *

Killian swallowed thickly. The plan was set. Emma would climb to the top of a statue, wait for the giant to pass her, and knock him out with the poppy powder. It seemed like such a good idea until they put it into action. Killian would be left on the ground to hide until Emma basically fulfilled her role. Then he would come in to help her find what they were looking for. It seemed so simple. Now he was a little unsure of how successful the two of them were actually going to be. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she called down to him.

She didn't sound so sure of herself, and that just made Killian feel like neither of them would even lay eyes on the compass. Still, he looked down at the bone in his hand. Raising it, he found a metal shield on the floor and bashed the bone against it. At first the bone vibrated in his hand, but then the ground started to vibrate as a loud roar echoed through the hall. The giant came running through the hall, heading straight for Emma. He was much, much taller than either of them had anticipated. The so-called giant statue Emma perched herself on was not nearly tall enough for her to use the powder. Killian cursed. He had to think of something quick. He guessed he could use the bone and shield method again, but that was not going to help anything. The giant roared too loud to be able to hear it.

"Hey! You big git! Yeah, you. Huh? You want to kill a human? Huh? You want to kill a human? Well, I'm the worst human around. Come on. Come on, then! Come on, then!" His taunts were not desgined to be a self-reflection, and had he had the time to think about it, he probably would have thought about his words. The worst human around. Yes, he truly thought of himself in that light. There was nothing redeemable left of him. Emma and the rest of the women were right to not trust him because he was the worst human there was. He could probably find a few people to agree with him. Those people at the camp probably would. If Milah were alive to think about it, she would agree. And Isabel? Well, Isabel probably wouldn't be able to call him her husband.

The giant bent to snatch Killian up. He closed his eyes and welcomed whatever outcome this might have. Should he meet his death, he would be perfectly fine with that. Thunder could be heard throughout the hall, and Killian opened his eyes. Luck seemed to still be on his side because the giant was passed out just a few feet away from Killian. He studied the whole scene to make sure he wasn't some apparition standing by after his death. Alas, he was not.

"Hook!" The distress in her voice was evident. She thought something had happened to him. "Hook!"

He walked to where she could see him. "He's out cold. I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team."

They smiled at one another before Emma began her desent from the statue's shoulders. Once she was in front of Killian, they began their search for the treasure room. The entire palace was filled with treasures so a treasure room seemed a little moot, but Killian was in awe of everything that he saw. A fraction of the treasure would have been able to buy him whatever his heart desired. Of course, his heart didn't desire what it used to. At least that's what he led everyone to believe. While everyone saw a loot-starving pirate, that was only the part of it.

"They hoarded all of their greatest stolen treasures in here. Piles of jewels, and every room filled with coins," he mused.

"Well, let's get to it," Emma told him. "The compass."

"What's your rush?" Killian asked.

"How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?" she asked.

"I haven't a clue," he told her.

Emma nodded. "That's my rush."

Killian smiled at her. So she wasn't in the mood for a little humor. "Too right, lass. Come. Everything we need is right in front of us." He gestured in front of them and led her deeper into the room.

"They kill all the giant housekeepers, too?" Emma asked sarcastically. "How we going to find a compass in this mess?"

"By looking," Killian answered. "Start searching. I wonder how much treasure we could carry down the beanstalk." Emma gave him yet another unamused expression. He was starting to tire of her attitude. "In addition to the compass, of course."

As they wandered throughout the room, Killian stuffed small pieces of treasure into his pockets. Maybe they didn't hold much value anymore, but they sure were pretty. Killian tried to not let Emma catch him. The last thing he needed was some sort of lecture from her about them not having time for all of that. Emma nearly tripped over something, and when they looked down, they found a full skeleton laid out in front of them with a sword in its hand. Jack was etched into the blade.

"What the hell?" Emma asked, stepping back from the skeleton.

"That would be Jack," he told her.

Emma looked up at him with skepticism reflected in her eyes. "As in Jack…" she trailed off.

Killian nodded slowly and finished the thought for her. "The giant killer."

"With that toothpick?" she asked in disbelief.

"Well, it packs quite a wallop. You'd be surprised," he told her, starting to walk off for a it more treasure. Emma grabbed him abruptly, pulling him to her. Her arms wrapped around him, and he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms around her too. "It's about bloody time."

Emma pushed him off her and nodded to the rope stretched across the room. Then she gestured up to a cage hanging from the ceiling. "It's a trip wire. Quite a security system."

"Well, that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me, but next time don't stand on ceremony," he winked at her.

"Let's find the compass and go home," Emma rolled her eyes at him.


	11. Chapter 10: Fighting For Your Love

**_I would like to thank JohnnyStormsGirl, 'sSydney, CosplayerHikari, aliiceroseee, Millenia-the-wings-of-valmar, I'mOverTheMoon, SurferGirl711, Psycho17, Don Flack's Angell, TheGirlWhoBelieved3, LauraFoxx, hungergamespettalover, shelibot, SeekerOfTheDragons, missEmbear, and SPEEDIE22 for following, favoriting, and reviewing! I appreciate it tremendously. I am very excited about this chapter. I have no clue why, but I'm really excited so any/all feedback is welcome! Not that it wasn't before...well, you know what I mean...I hope. Enjoy!_**

* * *

_Enchanted Forest - Past_

Killian walked through the woods to get to the river. When he woke up that morning, he found a note on her door asking him to meet her there. It wasn't uncommon for them to go to the river, but she usually waited so they could just go together. Rumors of bandits roaming the forest made it impossible for anyone to go out alone. Isabel was told by both her father and Killian that she wasn't allowed to go unless one or the other was with her. Until that morning, Isabel had obeyed, though it wasn't unlike her to just ignore the rules. As he walked, he wondered exactly what could be so important that she had to leave before the sun even came up. He usually woke up just after the sun. He woke up before her, and when he was in the village, he would wake her up. Isabel was a nightmare to get out of bed on most mornings. It took several bribes just to get her to stop grunting in response to forming actual sentences. Getting her up before the sunrise was nearly impossible. Whatever got her to get out of bed must have been something big, and his mind played with every option it could come up with. Being a typical teenage boy, the possibilites included her greeting him naked while sitting on the rock that they shared their first kiss on. When he got to the river, he wasn't greeted by Isabel. Instead, one of the local boys he recognized as the lovesick puppy that followed Isabel around and refused to take the hint that she was taken. He annoyed Killian to no end.

"Good," Terence said. "You came armed."

Killian's eyebrow quirked up. "That I did. Where's Isabel? She was supposed to meet me."

"She safe at home. Sleeping if I had to guess," Terence smirked.

"Impossible," Killian argued. "She left a note on her door."

"And you were stupid enough not to open the door to check if she was still there," Terence taunted him.

"Are you implying you put it there?" Killian questioned.

"Indeed." Terence stook a step closer to Killian; hand planted firmly on the hilt of his sword.

"I hate to break it to you, but my heart belongs to Isabel. And you are not even remotely my type," Killian rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so arrogant, pirate. I love her. Not you," Terence grimaced.

A wave of anger coursed through Killian. The idiot in front of him had the gall to claim he loved someone who didn't belong to him. Isabel was Killian's, yet Terence had the nerve to try to claim her. He was very stupid. "You must really want to get hurt."

"What makes you say that?" Killian asked.

"You lure a pirate into a secluded area, try to claim his girl, and obviously want to fight," he gestured to Terence's swod. "That's neither smart nor brave, mate. Go home before you do something you might not have a chance to regret."

Killian started to leave, but Terence opened his mouth. "You're not good enough for her!"

Whipping around, Killian stepped dangerously close to Terence. His eyes darkened in anger, and he clenched his fists to keep from strangling the boy. "I am well aware of that."

"Then let her be with someone that is," Terence stood up straighter, looking Killian in the eyes.

What Killian saw in Terence was someone who loved Isabel deeply, but the universe didn't work the way Terence wanted it to. Things may come between them and his occupation may keep them apart for months on end, but Isabel was Killian's true love. Still, Killian really couldn't hold Terence's feelings against him. He knew exactly what it was like to love Isabel, and Killian had to respect Terence for standing up to him. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back from the younger boy. "Like I said, go home. This isn't going to do you any good."

"And you are never going to do her any good," Terence countered. "You're a pirate, and that isn't going to end well for either of you. If you haven't already, you're going to end up killing someone. What do you think she's going to do when you tell her that? Are you going to keep it from her and let her find out when word gets here? And what if you die? What do you think that is going to do to her?"

"That is none of your business," Killian spat. It was the only retort he could come up with. Terence's questions haunted Killian all the time.

Isabel had an air of innocence about her. As rough as she seemed, she was still just so innocent about things. What if he did kill someone? He certainly couldn't keep it from her. They told each other everything. She already disliked most pirates, and he promised her that he wouldn't become the kind that she hated. He wanted to remain honorable for her. Well, he wanted to stay as honorable as a talented thief could. He wanted her to be proud to say she was with him, and Captain Finnegan was working really hard to make sure Isabel could be proud of Killian.

"You should give her up before you can't," Terence said.

"So you can have her? I don't thin so," Killian shook his head.

"Then I'll fight you for her," Terence told him.

Killian wanted to laugh. In build, they were equally matched it seemed. In experience, Killian knew he outweighed Terence. It would not be a fair fight, and in any proper duel, it ended in someone's death. Killian would hate for Terence to lose his life because he thought he had something to prove. No way was Terence going to win Isabel or take her from Killian. Pulling his sword from its sheath, he stood ready for a fight. Terence did the same thing, and the two boys stared one another down. Terence's eyes held no fear in them. Good, Killian thought. It meant that he was serious in his challenge. Even as a pirate, Killian believed in a code so to speak. He could not bring himself to fight someone who was only half in it. He also believed in fair fights, but Terence seemed to not really care. Terence was stupidly optimistic that he would be able to win. Killian also believed in putting people in their place, and Terence needed to be put in his place. Otherwise, he would always walk around with the idea that he deserved Isabel's love. He already had the misguided notion that he was going to best Killian.

Terence lunged at Killian. Blocking the parry, Killian countered by trying to know the sword from his opponent's hand. The fight didn't need to last any longer than needed. He wanted to prove a point to Terence, but he didn't want to spend all morning fighting with Terence. Terence's sword just about grazed Killian's cheek as Terence swung it rather wildly. It was apparent the younger boy had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps Terence was more dangerous than Killian though. Someone who didn't know how to use a sword was much more dangerous than someone who did. Someone who was trained or at least handy with a sword knew where to strike, how to find an opening. A person that could barely even hold a sword didn't care about finding an opening. They were worried about hits, and those hits could be more than a little dangerous. Blocking another blow, he was almost knocked off his feet. Terence didn't look like much, but Killian guessed his strength came from his determination. He really wanted Isabel. He just didn't realize that Killian needed Isabel. His need fueled him to continue fighting, to stay standing, to stick around when he was almost certain Terence was right about how everything was going to end.

"Give up, villain!" Terence yelled.

"She'll never love you," Killian countered, blocking yet another blow that was aimed at his neck.

"That doesn't matter!" Terence swung the sword again, and it made contact with Killian's arm; just barely grazing it. "She'll learn to!"

The older boy winced and over took Terence, knocking him to the ground. Killian held the sword just above Terence's heart. "Listen up, mate!" A menacing look covered his face. "Isabel is mine, and she'll always be mine."

"Then kill me," Terence told him, pressing his chest to the tip of the blade.

Killian shook his head and lowered his weapon. "No."

"Why not?" Terence's eyebrows furrowed.

"Because you should live with the fact she will never be yours. It's as you said, she'll think differently of me if I kill anyone, and I am certainly not going let you trick me into that. If you win, you supposedly get her. If you die, then you get her just the same." He slid his sword back into its sheath. "No. You get to live with the fact that you fought for her and still lost." Terence's protests fell on deaf ears as Killian started to walk away.

Once out of Terence's sight, he rushed back to Isabel's house. She was probably awake and wondering where he was. Killian ran the best he could to get back to Isabel. He didn't like to keep her waiting. She could get rather impatient at times, especially in the morning. Upon reaching the house, he saw her father leaving for the day. He rushed to the man, stopping William just before he closed the gate.

"That was quite a scuffle," William told him. Killian's eyes widened, but William raised his hand before the boy could speak. "You handled yourself nicely, but your form could use some work."

"Does she know?" Killian asked. It terrified him to think Isabel might know. While he liked the idea of her having proof that he would fight for her, he knew Isabel hated the idea of him having to for any reason.

William shook his head. "No. She's being quite stubborn this morning so I'm letting her sleep in. Get yourself cleaned up, and I'll pretend I know nothing."

"Thank you," Killian nodded.

He went into the house fully prepared to explain himself. Isabel was mischievous; more so than she initially led on. She was fiery for sure yet he never realized she was somewhat as devious as he was. It was likely she was only pretending to sleep. Perhaps she discovered he had gone missing, followed him to the river, and snuck back before William could notice. She was rather adept at leaving without someone noticing. Killian always joked that she was a better pirate than he was. She could use a sword, almost as well as her father. She knew how to handle herself, proven when they had met. Over the year, he realized he had definitely met his match.

Cleaning himself up, he bandaged the cut on his arm. He climbed the stairs to Isabel's room, listening carefully for any noise before opening the door.

His eyes traveled to the bed. Isabel had the covers pulled up to her chin, and she lay on her stomach. He knew without a doubt her feet were hanging off the end. She slept so deep in the bed that her feet normally dangled off the bed. She called herself a burrower, and he could see why. Tiptoeing to the bed, he lifted the covers and joined her. As if on instinct, Isabel tucked herself into his side. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her. She looked like an angel curled up next to him. Part of him felt bad for guys like Terence. It was not lost on Killian that other boys were envious of him, and the part that felt sorry for Terence pitied every boy who wanted her. The other part of him delighted in the knowledge that she was his and his alone.

And that reminded him of something rather important. He'd have to distract her at some point during his stay. Killian needed to speak to her father about the necklace she had lost. It was a longshot, but he still wanted to get it back for her. Since she would never talk about it, he would have to talk to William about it. He hoped maybe there was a portrait of it. Killian knew not to hold out much hope, but he remained optimistic. How could he not? He fancied it a kind of talisman. When he saw it, he'd know that it belonged to his true love. He would be drawn to it. He hoped that was the case.

"You are thinking too loudly," Isabel mumbled.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "I'll try to be quieter."

She smiled up at him. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure," he smiled down at her. Reaching up, he ran his fingers through his hair, and her eyes closed. "I've heard you've been stubborn this morning."

"Just after sunrise is far too early to wake up," she grumbled. She laid her head on his chest. "Where were you? Father came to wake me up."

"I was being lazy too," he lied.

"Shall we get up then?" she asked.

"Not yet," he told her, holding her to him tighter.


	12. Chapter 11: The Good & The Bad

_**I would like to thank the following people for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following: SPEEDIE22, JohnnyStormsGirl, aireagle92, BeautifulResurrection, Rebecca2810, roelaine, ColdLightHotNight, olyve derekhalelover, TheGreatWhite, SpnSwtHrt, CirceanPoison, and b00kworm3. I love you all so much and appreciate you more than words can ever express.**_

* * *

_Storybrooke – Present_

Isabel laughed as she heard her father tell Peter to get away from the window. She and Terence were outside, saying goodnight to one another. And Peter obviously decided to stay up and see what was going on. Before they had left, Peter was incredibly excited to hear that Isabel and Terence were going to dinner. Apparently, that hadn't changed. Turning to Terence, Isabel wondered if she should invite Terence inside. She wasn't sure exactly what trying meant for them. Were they just continuing where they had left off before the curse lifted? Were they starting over completely? They had discussed trying for their sake and for Peter's, but that was the extent of it. She didn't want to ask either. She didn't want to upset Terence if he felt one or the other was implied. She guessed going with her gut was the best, but her gust was giving her mixed signals. Still, it was all she had to go on.

"It's okay," Terence told her, pulling her away from her thoughts.

"What is?" she asked.

"Whatever you're so quiet about," he smiled. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and he laughed. "No. I cannot read your mind, Is. Your lips are doing that thing they do when you're debating something."

"What thing?" She wasn't aware her lips did anything. At least, she hadn't been for some time.

He reached up, poking her bottom lip. "It sticks out further when you're thinking. Just a tad, though. I think only those of us who truly love you notice."

"It does not such thing," she argued.

Chuckling, he put his hands in his pockets. "Like I said, whatever you decide is fine by me."

"Even if it includes making a pipe bomb?" she grinned.

"Even if it includes shaving your head and joining a cult." He grinned back at her.

Isabel held her breath as she stared up at him. He was truly beautiful, everything about him. After years of watching from the sidelines, he still wanted her. He still loved her, and part of her loved him too. So what if their cursed relationship wasn't supposed to be real? Isabel found herself returning his feelings anyways. Maybe part of it had to do with him loving Peter as well. Maybe she admired his never-give-up attitude when it came to her affections. She loved him. He may not have been her true love, but she considered herself very lucky to have him. He was her second chance at something she thought she would never have with anyone ever again.

Terence took a step closer to Isabel, and she released the breath. His hand raised to brush against her cheek. She fought the urge to nuzzle his hand. If she did, he certainly would be invited inside. Lifting her head to look at him, he gently pressed his lips to her. A warmth coursed through her, and she closed the last few inches between them. It felt so easy and normal to kiss him. Part of her feared it would have been extremely awkward, but it all fell into place. Her hands reached up and held his face. Isabel never really realized how much she really needed another person until she didn't have something making her forget. The curse obviously played that role, and Neverland made it so easy to just forget everything about her former life.

The kiss broke, and they stared at each other breathless. Terence reached up, stroking her cheek with his knuckles. She blinked slowly as if trying to process what was going on. If anything, the kiss only confused her more yet she found herself forming the words, "Come in?"

* * *

Some rude little bird tweeted outside the window, and Isabel groaned before she covered her face with her pillow. A chuckle caused her to jump a little. Moving the pillow, she saw Terence lying next to her. He smiled sleepily at her, reaching up for the pillow. She smacked his hand away and turned onto her side. Isabel hated mornings with a passion. She could remember her father basically giving up when it came to waking her. As her eyes started to close again, the door opened and Peter came running into the room. Jumping on the bed, he snatched the pillow away from her face.

"Mama, get up!" he told her. Leaning in, he whispered close to her ear. "The queen's here."

Terence sat up quickly. "And you left her alone?"

"No," Peter scoffed. "Grandpa is here."

Isabel sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "Tell Regina that I'll be down in a few minutes."

Peter nodded, grabbing Terence's hand. "Come on. You can make me pancakes."

"Actually, Peter, I need to talk to your mom," Terence told him. "I bet if you talk to William, he'll make breakfast for you."

Peter frowned before nodding and trudging out of the room. Isabel lifted herself from the bed, walking over to the closet. Terence's eyes bore into her back as she changed. She could practically feel his judgment. He knew her history with Regina. While it wasn't nearly as rocky as his own history, he obviously felt it should have been. Isabel simply ignored him. It was far too early for an argument, but it was bound to happen.

"Why is she here?" he asked.

"I dunno," she shrugged, sitting on the bed. "I haven't spoken to her yet."

"Tell her to go. She's not welcome," he hugged.

"This is my house. Is it not?" she asked.

"Of course it is," he nodded.

"And you live in your own house?" she asked. He nodded again. "Then she's welcome."

"Is, you are putting a target on your back," he whispered sharply.

"I realize that, but it takes one person to change things. She is broken, Terence," she whispered back.

"She's evil," he said. Isabel rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you are deluded enough to think you can make her good."

"I'm not. Regina has everyone and everything against her. I just happen to be the one person in this town who didn't lose anything because of the curse. I still have you, my father, Peter. Everything I lost, I lost long ago," she explained.

"And that make you ally yourself with her?" he asekd.

"It means she has hope," Isabel sighed.

"For what?" he asked.

"Who know," she shrugged, "but I would rather try than condemn her for being human."

"There's nothing human about her," he argued.

"And the same could be said for the both of us. She...she's what I could have become. Imagine if something had happened to Killian. Imagine if something happened to my son. You are the only one who didn't turn your nose up at me when I went to live with the fairies. I was alone, and I could have easily used my magic for evil. One person. That's all it takes. You were that person for me so let me try and be that person for her." She stood up with a sigh. "Just...trust me on this."

She knew he probably wouldn't, but it didn't matter. Her mind was set. Going downstairs, she found Regina sitting in the living room with William. The tension that hung in the air was tangible. Isabel greeted the woman warmly, though Terence's hostility chilled the room instantly so Isabel excused Regina and herself from the room. Stepping into the backyard, the two women stayed quiet until they were certain anyone watching could not hear them.

"I need some advice," Regina told Isabel.

The younger brunette nodded; not surprised. "Of course. How can I help?"

"As you know, my mother is on her way and I don't know what to do to stop her. Gold sent a message with David, but without proof, he got through it almost certain Cora will make it here," she explained. "Gold believes he may have a solution."

"Does he?" Isabel asked slightly amused.

"It's dangerous," Regina told her.

"And you think Henry would be angry if you went through with it," Isabel finished and the queen nodded. "Henry lives with this notion that the outcome to everything will be positive. So much so that he cannot see when someone is trying to protect him, right?"

Regina sighed. "Ever since the curse has been broken, I've tried really hard to get him to trust me."

"Maybe that's the problem then," Isabel said.

"Meaning?" Regina asked.

"I've never trifled with your mother, but I'm pretty sure this entire town would be in flames the second she arrived," Isabel answered. "Protect your son. If he vilifies you for it, then what else is new? It's not like Henry didn't already. There is a very slim chance that Snow and Emma will make it back. There's also an even bigger chance that your mother will make them watch her escape our land." She sighed. "Look. Henry's faith is awe-inspiring, and I'm sure you're rooting more for Emma and Snow to win. At the same time, it's like Rumplestiltskin has always said. Magic comes with a price, and if a protection spell's price is the life of his birth mother and grandmother, then so be it."

Regina looked down, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. The look on Regina's face reminded Isabel of the look she got when her mother convinced her to leave her husband. It was one of utter defeat, shame, and an incurable sadness. Regina could take her chances. She could sit by and wait for whatever outcome would occur. Or, she could fight like hell to protect Henry. For Isabel, it was a short struggle and something she regretted to the day. At the same time, she would much rather have everything work out the way it did over the alternative. She still had her son and her father. She had Terence. The only thing she didn't have was something she probably would have lost with the curse, but she also knew that would still have meant spending time in Neverland.

Isabel put her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Whatever you do, there are good intentions behind both."

"But Henry won't see it that way," Regina said quietly.


	13. Chapter 12: Captain's Respite

_**I would like to thank RedTailedHawkens, HaruHaruxLove, Stinulf, Reedy-Girl, Hawkeye'sBowGirl, madfinn654321, Aqua-Tranquility, and RosePotter123 for reviewing, following, and favoriting the story! I love you all a honey bunch of oats! **_

_**There is something I would like to address. As the description of the fic says, this is an AU fic. It also says "OC Tink." I will be keeping that for a number of reasons, like who I have been picturing Tink/Isabel as. I have been planning this fic since before Tink and Peter were cast. While I adore Robbie Kay as Peter and Rose McIver as Tink, they are not who I pictured for my Tink and Peter (obviously since Peter is eight). Picture whomever you want as them, but I've always seen them as Lucy Hale and Chandler Riggs. **_

_**Alright! Onto the story!**_

* * *

_Enchanted Forest – Present_

The giant loomed over Killian; a hatred for the human glinting in his eyes. He sat on the floor in front of the pirate with his legs crossed and watched as Killian tried to break the shackle around his wrist. Even for an old and rusty piece of steel, it managed to do no good. Killian couldn't get the right angle on it to wrench himself free, and this amused the giant. Every time Killian would try and fail, the giant laughed so much that it shook the room. His laughter would cause rubble to fall from the ceiling. Killian managed to escape being crushed, and the giant would laugh at how the tiny human scrambled for his own survival.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Killian asked, annoyed with the situation. Emma had double crossed him, left him up there to die. The compass left with her, which meant nothing good was going to happen if he escaped. He almost would rather die at the hands of a giant than Cora's. At least the giant's hands were much too large to rip his heart from his chest, though part of him thought it a little poetic to die in the same manner as Milah. Still, if he could avoid death altogether, Killian would be happy. He would have hated to die for trusting - or in Cora's case, half trusting - someone. Unfortunately, Killian couldn't deny he had put his complete faith in Emma. He wished he could have said the same for her. She pretended to, but something told him it was all a big game of deception. Throughout their search, he felt her eyes on him. She watched him as closely as he would someone sniffing around his ship. He should have known something was wrong when she showed the compass to him but held it to where he would have to reach for it. Of course, it all made sense now that he was chained up and staring death in the face. "Look, mate. If you're going to kill me, I would rather you do it now."

"I'm not going to kill you," the giant told him.

"Then what are you going to do with me? Force me to tidy up? I hate to tell you, but I would just try to escape the second you let me go. Not to mention, I'm a nightmare to live with." Why was he even trying to convince the giant of anything? The giant seemed hell-bent to continue believing that people were rotten. Killian fit that description to the letter.

"I'm not going to do that either," the giant said, rolling his eyes.

"Then my question still stands. What are you going to do with me?" Killian asked.

The giant huffed before answering. "I'm giving Emma some time."

"Time for what?" Killian's interest had been piqued. Had she shared whatever her plans were with the giant?

"To put some ground between you and her." The giant looked around, picking up a golden statue of a goose.

Killian watched as the giant turned the statue about in his hands, and his own brain went to how much the goose was worth. The giant was probably unaware that many of his treasure would sell for a pretty gold piece or five. While the giant had an exponential amount of gold just strewn about, he could cash a lot of items in for more money. Killian got the feeling the giant didn't really care about money. In fact, the giant practically wore his sentimentality on his sleeve. Every piece of treasure was an artifact of a previous life. Though Killian would deny it whenever someone asked, he understood the giant at least in that regard. Sewed into the lining of his coat was Isabel's locket. He kept it with him at all times, fretting whenever he thought it were missing. It was why he had Milah sew it into his coat. He remembered Isabel's father telling him how much the locket was actually worth, but even in the times when money seemed hard to come by, Killian would not part with the necklace. And anyone who tried to steal it died a slower death than some of his worst enemies.

"What's your name?" Killian asked.

The giant turned his attention back to the diminutive human before him. "What do you care?"

"If I'm going to be spending gods knows how many hours with you, I would like to at least know what to call you," Killian shrugged.

"Anton," the giant grumbled.

"Displeasure to meet you, Anton. I'm Killian Jones." Killian bowed before turning his gaze up to the giant. "Tell me. Just how long do I have until I am released?"

"Ten hours," Anton told him.

"And how much time has passed already? Surely at least four," Killian grinned as he sat on the floor, getting as comfortable as he could.

Anton laughed. "One hour."

That wiped the grin from Killian's face. Only an hour? And he had nine more to go? Exactly how fast did time move at the top of the beanstalk? He hated to ask so he remained silent, which caused Anton to laugh even more. Killian rolled his eyes. "So what am I to do while I am up here?"

"Nothing. You're supposed to do nothing," Anton told him.

"But that's boring, and if I have a lot of time on my hand, I would like to occupy it with something," Killian practically whined.

The giant laughed again, shaking the room. Killian had to admit that he liked a more jolly giant than the one that tried to crush him and Emma. At least a laughing giant meant he wasn't trying to kill him. Always a plus in Killian's books. He sat quietly for a minute. Earlier, the giant had said something about the victors getting to tell the story. As long as Killian could remember, the giant's story was of how fearsome all giants were, and as the lone survivor of his clan, he killed any human he came upon. Watching as Anton began to play with the goose statue again, he noticed something. Innocence. There was an air of innocence that surrounded Anton; certainly not something Killian had expected.

"Anton," Killian began. "Tell me about your family. What really happened?"

Shock covered Anton's face. "What do you care about that?"

"You said the winners write the history, correct? Well, it's time to tell your version," Killian shrugged.

Anton gave him a hesitant look, and Killian could see the internal debate in the giant's eyes. Then Anton nodded slowly. "It all started with..."

As Anton began his tale, Killian settled in for the duration of his imprisonment.

* * *

Anton finished his story just as Killian was starting to doze off. His limbs ached from staying in one position too long, and as Anton seemed to still be lost in his reminiscences, Killian stood up to stretch. It took Anton almost the entire nine hours to relive just what happened to his family. Killian wasn't sure he believed Anton's story, but that was a minor detail; one that Killian knew would not matter.

At some point during story time, Killian managed to break free of his shackles. Normally he would run like hell, but he was already devising a plan to somewhat get back at Emma for deserting him. Killian wasn't going to run from Anton. He wasn't going to slip out while Anton was talking. Instead, he sat quietly and half listened. If Emma wanted distance between them, then distance she was going to get. Not that distance would stop him. He was going to catch up with her, and he would get the compass from her one way or another. Really, his sitting around was just his way buying time to figure out how he was going to win.

Looking up at the giant, he noticed the petrified magic bean hanging around Anton's neck. It was a sign of what he lost. It served no real purpose. It was a dried up representation of a human's betrayal. Killian was sitting there like a good little boy with his arms crossed over his chest. He posed no threat to Anton; not visibly at least. If he played his cards right, maybe Anton would be willing to part. After all, pirates took souvenirs from their conquests. Receiving the magic bean in good faith would be a nice souvenir indeed.

"The way I calculate it, I have about five minutes left," Killian spoke up.

Anton looked around as if there were some clock hanging around for him to check. "Did I really take that long?"

"Aye. You did, but I can't complain. I did ask after all," Killian shrugged. He raised his hand to rub at his eyes. Anton's story had been less than exciting, and the sleepiness that started to take him over simply wouldn't go away. His hand stroked down his face, scratching his chin.

"Hey! You aren't shackled anymore," Anton pointed out.

Killian shook his head. "It would appear not."

"How did you manage?" Anton asked. "And why didn't you run when you had the chance? How do you know I'm going to keep my word to Emma?"

"For starters, mate, I'm a pirate. Never expect me not to be able to get myself out of tight situations. Secondly, you were in the middle of your story and it would have been rude to just leave. I have manners, you know? And thirdly, you value the word of others so you're least likely to break your own word to someone," Killian answered. The giant didn't argue so Killian continued. "Now there's the small business of what I get for proving I am trustworthy."

Anton's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Emma got the compass. Not to mention, she managed to get you to trap me here. So what shall I get? Other than my life of course." He tried not to appear so smug, but it just wasn't in him. A smirk appeared on his face as he leaned against a piece of fallen ceiling.

The giant frowned, and it was as if he were realizing that Killian obviously had an ulterior motive for asking about Anton's story. There was this moment Killian enjoyed the most when it came to his pirating career. It was when those who were stupid enough to put his piracy behind them and ended up being duped by him. The moment they realized his intentions were not as honorable as he led on, he would always feel a strong sense of pride. Anton's face read much like everyone else's did, but instead of looking completely hurt, the giant simply nodded.

"Choose one treasure," Anton told Killian. "Whatever you want, and I cannot refuse you."

Killian's smirk turned into a grin. He pointed up at Anton, referring to the bean. "I want you to shed the last bit of Jack's betrayal as a sign that you are aware that some humans are not as horrible as I am."

Anton reached up to clutch the bean. His internal debate shown on his face, but he did not go back on his word. He took the necklace from around his neck and handed it out to Killian. Then Anton turned away from him. "Your time is up."

He didn't need to be told twice. Killian ran like hell for the beanstalk. The climb down would not be as arduous as the climb up, and with his mind on the one goal of getting down, he wouldn't be held back with trying to make conversation or plan his next ten moves. He could actually enjoy this little victory without having to think of what to do next. That was already planned out. All he had to do was touch ground, and Killian would be happy. As his feet his the ground and he basked in the feel of earth beneath his feet, he realized that he had never been more thankful to see or touch land in his life. He remembered in rejoicing at the sight of a certain village, but soil in general was never something he was happy to set foot on. The sea was his home. The waves, the ebb and flow, all of it was his home. A ship was the closest thing to anything solid that he could possibly want underfoot. He closed his eyes and just let the feel of the ground underneath him take hold of him.

"My dear Captain." Cora's voice held a teasing tone to it; one Killian could really do without. "It seems you've been on quite an adventure. The compass, please." She held her hand out for a treasure Killian didn't possess.

"Yes, that." He turned to face her. "Well… Matters grew complicated. It's eluded me for the moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore."

She chuckled. "Really? Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you. But to me, it's a betrayal."

"I was going to bring it to you. Our agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke, together. I'll get it back." Part of that was a lie. He wasn't going to give her the compass unless Emma and her band of merry women proved themselves useless. Only then would he had even considered giving Cora the compass. Of course, it had dawned on him that he could get there himself. The only truth in his statement was he would get the compass back. No matter who joined him on his way to kill Rumplestiltskin, he would have that compass in hand and at the ready when the time came.

Cora shook her head. "No, I don't have time for your games. I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought just short of the brink of success." Then, as if to dig the knife in his back a little deeper, she tacked on, "Who was it who bested you?"

He stayed calm, though having to answer did leave a nasty taste in his mouth. "The Swan girl – Emma." His jaw clenched for a second, and Killian knew he would have to hide whatever anger or hurt he felt over the entire mess. "Rest assured, it won't happen again."

She laughed at him, actually laughed at him. "No, it won't. You chose her, and the consequences of that decision."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh. Are you going to kill me, now?" There was a hint of mocking in his voice; the very same tone she was throwing at him. His voice grew stern as he took a tiny step towards her. "Go ahead. Try."

"So brave. No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more satisfying in mind." That certainly caught Killian's attention, and she knew it. With a smirk on her face, she told him how she was going to leave him in the enchanted forest. She was going to go without him. He would be left with the unsated hunger of ripping the crocodile's throat out.

He swallowed his fear down. "There's no need to be rash." He took a few steps closer to her, trying his best not to vomit from having to flirt with her. "We can… Discuss this."

"Your pretty face buys you a lot, but not my time. It's too valuable," she told him.

"I can do this," he told her. "I can get it back. You need me." It sounded as if he were trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince her. In reality, Killian knew she was just using him in the same manner that he was her. The only difference was, as resourceful as he was, she had the one thing that he didn't. Magic. All she had to do was reach into her bag of tricks, and she would easily render him useless.

She started to turn and walk away from him, "No, I don't. You've had your chance. Now, it's my turn to do this. The right way."

She kept walking, and Killian let his anger and frustration get the best of him. He raised his hook in the air, lunging at her, but her magic was too quick for him to make any contact. Instead, he ended up kissing the ground. Standing, Killian wracked his brain to think about what his next move should be. He couldn't quite catch up with the women. Trying to catch up with Cora would surely end in his death. He could just become a free agent. Getting the wardrobe ashes was impossible, but his hand slipped into the leather pouch attached to his hip. He clutched the bean, turned it in his fingers. It felt so different from the one that took him to Neverland. That particular bean buzzed with its own magic. It felt as if it might burn a hole in the palm of your hand should you hold it for too long. The bean he currently possessed felt very different. Instead of life, it felt cold. It felt empty and worthless. There was nothing left for it except to dangle on a piece of leather until it withered away. There was no hope for it.

He took a deep breath and reached a decision. Catching up with Cora after a small victory would help him. After she had killed everyone at the camp, he asked her what she was going to do with the bodies. He expected her to burn the bodies, yet she laid out a plan that Emma and the other would could not escape. She explained how the bodies served a purpose. Cora could animate the bodies and have them do whatever she desired. Should she need them for any reason, she would use them. How she would use them was beyond Killian. They hadn't discussed that. He just knew they played some part in the plan. He honestly didn't really care what their purpose was. He just didn't want to be around when the dead men got up and started stumbling around. Killian could handle a lot of things from Cora. Necromancy was not one of them so he gave her time to put that plan in motion before sneaking off to the camp.

Approaching the camp, he chose his steps very carefully. Killian wouldn't put it past Cora to lay traps all over the place now that she was using it as her base. Should the four women stupidly attack the camp, Cora would be prepared. He managed to tiptoe his way to a hut. As it was still dark outside, he could slip through the shadows easily. His dark clothing certainly helped him go undetected. Killian's muscles ached, and his body had grown weary with the physical exertion he'd put forth. He hated to say it, but he was exhausted. There was no time to rest fully, but until he heard movement about the camp, he could take a light nap. Looking around, he found a bed sitting in the corner. He sat down on it, and his body practically shouted out of happiness. His muscles relaxed somewhat. He didn't dare slip his boots off, though. Should he need a quick escape, he would not have the time to shove his boots onto his feet. It was the same for his hook. Even though he could probably put the harness and everything on in his sleep, it was quite cumbersome when you weren't thinking straight. He rested his head on right arm while his hook stayed draped over his stomach. Closing his eyes, he felt sleep rush to overwhelm him. For once, he didn't even fight it.


	14. Chapter 13: Little Bit

_**So sorry this has taken me forever to get this up. I've been having to write stuff for my creative writing class. My professor pushed up the deadline by like a month. I had to write two short stories to write in a manner of two weeks, and I was incredibly blocked. Anyways, I did manage to slowly work on this chapter. And now for acknowledgements. I would like to thank the following people who followed, favorited, reviewed the last chapter: justwonderingwhoiam, Pupluver43, jenni10121, mrusserey, screamlikeabanshee, lilybelle101, xenocanaan, AeydenOrion, xForgottenxFlamex, DominaUmbra666, and piercethedead. I appreciate everyone who read. I love you all very, very much. Onto the chapter!**_

* * *

_Enchanted Forest – Past_

Killian closed the door to Isabel's room as quietly as he could. Sneaking down the stairs, he found William sitting at the table in the kitchen. The older man sipped at a cup of water while looking over his orders list. The boy stood awkwardly to the side, watching the second father figure in his life. He admired William. After everything he had been through, William managed to get by. He even refused to take any sort of donations. Killian learned that the hard way. After a particularly good trip out, he tried to pay the man back for giving him somewhere to stay. William refused to take it, and for over two hours they argued about what Killian was going to do with his share of the treasure. Finally, William agreed to take the money but only if he could save it and give it back to Killian when he and Isabel got married. Money for William and Isabel was incredibly tight because William had gotten sick and couldn't work. Isabel even offered to take on a job, at least until William was back on his feet. He wouldn't hear of it. Most families in the village utilized their children, sending them off daily to work on farms or in the market. William said his daughter was far too delicate for that sort of thing. He wanted to make do with what they had, and when Killian tried to offer the money to Isabel instead, she refused to take it. Her father's mind was made up. They weren't going to change it for him.

"Don't just stand there," William spoke up. "Pull up a chair and sit with me. Or, grab that broom and finish Isabel's chores. I don't care. Just don't fucking stand there watching me."

Killian nodded, taking the broom. He figured some sort of movement would keep him from completely chickening out of what he needed to ask William. He wanted to know about the locket, and he knew that it was kind of a touchy subject for him. As it was the only thing left of Isabel's mother, it meant something to both of them. For Isabel, it was her mother. For William, there were a lot more memories associated with it. According to Isabel, it was the only thing her father ever needlessly bought, and he bought it as a wedding present for his wife. Isabel told him about how all she could remember about her mother was that she always wore the locket.

"What's on your mind?" William asked. Killian's eyes widened for a moment, and William just laughed. "You obviously want something. Spit it out."

The young boy continued to sweep. He nodded at William, realizing that it was probably best to get it over with. Something about making the second father figure in his life relive any bad memories he may have seemed wrong. Bringing up the necklace would make him remember things he pushed to the back of his mind. One night when William and Killian were up late, William had a little too much to drink. The mere mention of Isabel's mother launched him into a tirade about her death. Celeste died suddenly with no explanation.

"You aren't going to ask to marry Isabel, are you?" William asked.

Killian shook his head. "Not yet."

William gave him a suspicious look. "Then why do you look like you're about to pass out?"

"Isabel's necklace. I was wondering if maybe you could draw it for me," he said quietly.

The older man froze. Killian hated to think about what might be going through William's mind. Still, William raised himself from his chair and walked over to a desk. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a piece of kohl and a roll of parchment. He quietly returned to the table and began sketching something on the parchment. "I take it you need this for something important? Not just a pretty picture."

Killian nodded. "Aye. I want to find it for her."

"Why?" William asked. "It's probably long gone by now. Sold or buried or lost. Why bother with something that is most likely going to prove futile?"

"Because I love her, and I want to prove to her that I do," Killian answered simply with a shrug. To him, his reasons couldn't have been easier. Love had driven him to do many things when it came to Isabel. It wasn't just that Captain Finnegan sent him on the easier jobs. He actually turned down any opportunities to switch with his shipmates. Many of them had given up love for a life of piracy, and he was hoping one day to give up piracy for love. Should Isabel deem him worthy enough to marry, he would retire. He would give up a life of adventure for her. She probably would never ask that for him so he would surely have to make the decision on his own.

"Haven't you already proven yourself to her?" William held the piece of parchment out as if scrutinizing it.

Killian shook his head. "No. I don't think I have."

"You fought for her. Isn't that proof enough?" The older man set the parchment back on the table, not looking up at Killian.

"She doesn't know about it. I've been…keeping her from going to town," Killian said sheepishly.

"Well that's just stupid," William told him. "If she knew about it, maybe you wouldn't have me sketching the locket."

Killian shrugged. That was a good question. It was very difficult to keep Isabel from wandering into town, and he was sure she was finding ways to still go. Asking her to go to the river was the only way he could get her to forget about the village long enough. They would take a blanket and sit by the water for most of the day, just basking in the fact that they were together. Sometimes they would play tag. Other times they would talk about their childhood. Killian would do anything to keep her from wanting to run into any of the village gossips. He had heard what was going around about the duel, and Terence was not making it any better. Killian watched him sulk about town, bemoaning how he had lost to a coward. He would defend himself if distracting Isabel wasn't a full time job. Of course, Killian enjoyed spending whatever time he got with her. With his departure looming, he was happy to have time with her.

* * *

Isabel gave it a full five minutes before she was sure both Killian and her father were downstairs. Luckily, they were distracted enough to not notice when she dropped from the second story of the house to the ground outside the kitchen window. She carefully peeked over the window sill to make sure they weren't paying attention. Then she darted in the direction of the town. Staying at the house so much had been truly stifling. It was nice to go to the river almost every day, but then Killian would want to go home and stay there for the rest of the night. They had already been to the river that day, which meant Killian would not want to leave the house again until the following day. So she pretended to be incredibly tired. He hadn't even questioned it. He just laid down with her, rubbing her back until she supposedly fell asleep. She felt bad for tricking him, but how else was she going to get away?

Once she got far enough away from home, she stopped tiptoeing. Breathing in the fresh air, she felt somewhat exhilarated to be free. Not free. Just out. As much as she loved Killian, there were times when she needed time to herself. When he left, she would hate that time to herself, but given the fact he hadn't left her side since his return, she needed just an hour. He didn't like going into town because of the whispering behind their backs. Isabel didn't mind it as much. To her, the gossip just meant people were jealous of them. She always believed people were more jealous of their love than they were that she had him or he had her. It also didn't hurt that the older people in the village compared her and Killian to her parents. They always said that she was too much like Celeste. It was her vivacity and determination. No one ever actually believed that Celeste was good enough for William or the Smith name, but William and Celeste's love for one another could not be broken. Because of this, Isabel didn't mind when people would whisper about them.

"Is!" a high-pitched voice called out to her once she set foot in the village. Isabel looked around to see Penelope running towards her. The redhead scooped her up into a tight hug, knocking the wind from Isabel. "Oh, Is! I thought something had happened to you! I haven't seen you in so long! I thought that horrid pirate had killed you or kidnapped you or something just…just horrible!"

Isabel tried to pry the younger girl from her. "Why…why on earth would you think that?"

"Haven't you heard?" Penelope asked, releasing Isabel.

"Heard what?" Isabel raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"He attacked Terence for no reason," Penelope whispered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Penny. He's been with me this entire time," Isabel laughed.

"No. The other day. It was at like dawn or something," Penelope told her. "Terence was by the river and the next thing he knew, Killian was there telling him to stop getting all goony eyed whenever you would pass. He attacked him. Threatened to kill Terence if he didn't beg for his life."

"That's…no. Killian wouldn't do that," Isabel shook her head.

Penelope nodded. "It's all over the market. Terence hasn't been the same since."

Isabel crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the market. "Where is Terence?"

"He's around. Been sulking for days. He's really jumpy like he's just waiting for Killian to pop up behind him for another go," Penelope answered.

Isabel scanned over the market. Off in a corner, Terence sat on a stool outside of the bakery. His downcast gaze told her something was wrong with him, but he could have easily just been sick. "Right. Well, I'm going to go see what Terence has to say. You know how word is around the market, Penny."

She didn't let Penelope respond. Instead, she immediately headed in Terence's direction. As she walked towards him, the baker came out with a basket of bread for Terence to deliver. He looked up at her for just a second, and the look of terror that followed gave Isabel all the information he needed. Killian hadn't attacked him. It was the other way around, or he had started the rumor. Her pace picked up as he tried to get away from her quickly. She let him deliver the bread, but the second he turned to start back for the bakery, she stepped in his way.

"Terence!" she beamed. "Just the man I was looking for. Can we have a word?"

"Not now, Isabel," he mumbled.

"It'll only take a second," she told him, grabbing his wrist as he tried to brush past her.

"Isabel, I said not now," he frowned.

"And I said now," she argued. "You have some explaining to do I think."

"Please can it wait? I have deliveries today. A lot of them." He tried to move past her again.

"Then I'll accompany you. You can carry more if I help." She didn't have time to help him. Killian and her father were only going to buy that she was napping for so long. Terence huffed. It was the kind of huff that gave away he was giving in. Isabel took it as a sign to employ the only trick she knew worked on anyone. Her bottom lip poked out slightly, and her eyes seemed to grow in size. As she spoke, her voice had gone soft and sweet. "Please. It really won't take that long." Terence couldn't even look away from her. His mouth opened slightly and he nodded dumbly. She grinned, and the two of them began walking. She gave it a few minutes; at least until they were on their way for another delivery. "Tell me about the other day with Killian."

Terence swallowed thickly, glancing down at her. "There's nothing to tell."

"Bullshit," she coughed.

"Fine. My feelings for you aren't exactly a secret." He waited for her to nod in confirmation. "I believe that I am better for you than he is, and I challenged him to a duel."

"A duel. With a pirate. Are you stupid?" she asked. Then she bit her lip, realizing she probably shouldn't be too harsh with him if she was going to get down to whether or not Killian actually threatened his life. "Continue."

"I tricked him into meeting me by the river. I let him believe that you were waiting for him," Terence went on. "We fought for you. Whoever won would have you. As you said, I'm stupid and believed I would win. I did not. I asked him to kill me since I couldn't have you."

"Why would you do that?" Isabel demanded. It sounded silly coming from him. He wanted to die because he had lost her. She was never his to lose, though. It didn't' seem worth it, yet he admitted to asking Killian to end his life.

"Because I have loved you since the moment I met you, Isabel. I know you do not share my feelings, but given enough time, you may one day," he said quietly.

"No. I won't," she answered sadly. "Killian is my true love, Terence. As long as he is in this world and I am living, nothing will change that. Even if something were to happen, my heart would never fully belong to you. I care for you, but I care for you as a friend, as a brother. No one in this town sees it. Killian is honorable, and despite what everyone wants to believe, I love him with all of myself."

Terence nodded. "I figured as much."

"One day you're going to meet someone who will make you forget all about me," she told him.

"I doubt that," he sighed.

"You will, and you'll wonder why you ever thought I was it for you." She turned to him, handing the basket of bread to him. "And I hope you find that person. I hope she's just as wonderful as you seem to think I am. I hope she's everything you've ever wanted, but I'm not. I can't be."

They said their goodbyes. Isabel hurried home. She had maybe an hour before Killian checked in on her.

* * *

The house was silent. Isabel sat up in bed, listening for any sound to break the quiet. A few minutes passed and nothing caught her attention. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she got up quickly. She rushed over to her dresser, running a brush through her hair. She didn't want to chicken out. As she stared in the mirror, she wondered if what she was about to do would change things; if she and Killian were going to change. Isabel tiptoed to the door, opening it slightly. The faint glow of a candle shined up the stairs from the first floor, and she figured her father had fallen asleep downstairs again. As quietly as she could, she slipped out of her room. Killian's room was across the hall, and Isabel silently crossed the floor. Lifting her hand to knock, she hesitated. Knocking might alert Killian, but it might also alert her father. She didn't want to explain anything to William. It was better if he didn't know. Grasping the doorknob, she held her breath and turned it. She lucked out. The tattletale knob kept its groans to itself, as did the door.

Darkness filled her eyes for a moment. Except for just a tiny bit of the moon shining in, Killian kept it rather dark. He liked it that way. He said it reminded him of a ship below the deck. He explained once that the darkest place he'd ever been was the crew's quarters when the lights were all blown out. Anyone afraid of the dark might slip into madness. Isabel would have been one of those people. The dark didn't help her sleep at all. The darker it was in her room, the more her mind felt uneasy. As she stood at Killian's door, she had to remind herself that she was there for a reason. Still, while she gathered up even more courage, her hands stayed pressed to the door behind her.

Once she adjusted to the darkness, she padded over to the bed. The moon shined just enough on Killian that Isabel could make out his arm curled up, tucked underneath his head. She could see what part of his face was exposed, and she almost gasped at how beautiful he was. Reaching out, she brushed her fingertips over his jawline. His slight facial hair tickled, but she continued to stroke his chin. Then her fingertips ran along his pursed lips. For a second, she thought she felt him press a kiss to her fingers. When he didn't stir, she chalked it up to the darkness. As much as she enjoyed the peaceful look on his face, she needed him awake. She rubbed his arm gently and whispered his name. He stirred but only to pull the blanket over him more. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek.

"Killian," her voice just above a whisper. "Wake up, my love."

He groaned and turned over. "Isabel, go to bed."

Her heart fluttered. At least he had woken up. "I can't sleep. We need to talk."

"Can it wait for morning?" he asked groggily.

"No," she bit her lip. "It's time sensitive." And that it was. They only had that night, that moment really, for Isabel to do what she woke him up for.

He sat up and the moon revealed that he was shirtless. Isabel's breath hitched, but she quickly recovered. The bed shifted as he reached over to the nightstand. He lit the lamp on it, and a faint light flooded the room. The boy looked Isabel over, and what he saw was his usually confident girlfriend biting her lip out of nervousness. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her softly. "What on your mind, love?"

She took his hand. "I know about Terence."

Terror covered his face. "H-how?"

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head. She scooted forward. "You fought for me."

"I-I had to," he stuttered. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you."

"No you won't," she smiled. Isabel brought his hand to her lips. "I love you, Killian, and I want to show you how much."

His eyes widened as she moved his hand down, leaving it over her heart. "I know how much you…"

She cut him off with a kiss. His hand fell, grabbing her by the waist to pull her close. They'd shared a few kisses that were as heated, but Isabel poured her soul into it. She climbed onto his lap. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, and as she tugged on it, he moaned. She pulled back, looking into his eyes. "Make me yours." It sounded like a desperate plea. Her heart belonged to him, but the need for him to make her his completely started to take over. She didn't want to think what would've happened had he lost. Instead, she would rather celebrate his victory. He earned the right to physically claim her. Even without being married, she wanted him to take his prize, but he pushed her away. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wha-did I do something wrong?"

Killian shook his head while gasping for air. "No. I just…I can't do that."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because it wouldn't be right," he told her.

Isabel opened her mouth but shut it quickly. It wouldn't be right. She frowned, backing away from him further. He didn't want her. He didn't want her, and she stupidly made a fool of herself because she assumed he did. She didn't know what to tell him or what to say. She just knew he didn't want her. So she stood up and started backing away from the bed. "I…I'm just going to go."

"Wait. Is…" Killian closed his eyes. "Don't go."

"I'd really rather go," she said quietly.

"I want to, but…" he took a deep breath. "I would rather wait until we're married. You're not like the girls in the village, and I just think waiting is better. I love you too much to besmirch your name."

She swallowed thickly. He wanted to wait until they were married? It was never a questions of if they'd get married. When was the problem. They never talked about it in concrete detail. It was just something that was always going to happen. They never really questioned it. Killian wanting to wait certainly never came up in conversation, and until that night, neither of them really acknowledged sex as anything other than what everyone else did.

Killian stood up, walking over to Isabel. He took her face in his hands. Tilting her head up, his thumbs stroked over her cheeks. "You don't have to give yourself to me like that, Isabel. I want your heart more than I want your body."

She took a shaky breath. Even as he was still turning her down, his words made her feel light and warm. She cast her gaze down, and deep blush covered her cheeks. With only the lamp on the nightstand, it looked much darker than she'd like. "I should let you rest."

"No. Stay. I've always wondered what it would be like to wake up with you in my arms," he said sheepishly, blushing just as red.

"We take naps all the time, love," she giggled.

"But those are short, during the day, and not nearly as romantic as waking up to your beautiful face every morning," he chuckled.

"This is because you turned me down, isn't it?" she pushed him playfully.

"Little bit," he admitted with a shrug.

She shook her head. "You are ridiculous. And father would probably kill you."

"Would he? I don't think so. Come on, Isabel," he grinned. "I'll be nothing but a gentleman."

"That's obvious. Considering…" she trailed off.

"Yes, yes." He took her hand, pulling her back over to his bed. Sitting with her, he stroked her hair. "So…how do you know about Terence?"

"Like I said, love. It doesn't matter. It would only matter if I'm angry and I am not," she smiled.

"I still have to know," he insisted.

She shook her head. "Don't worry that pretty head of yours, Killian. It's not important."

"But it is," he sighed.

"One day. I'll tell you one day. That's all I'm going to tell you," she told him. "Now let's go to sleep, okay?"


End file.
